Frost Cave

Christmas Specials!!

2011-11-19T16:55:00.014-07:00

Hey friends and fans!

Most Comprehensive
Book of Mormon
Geography Book
EVER WRITTEN!

I've compiled the best-selling and best priced stuff we have either on www.frostcave.com or on Amazon. Or you can just call me directly and I'll match the prices. 801-495-0555. I do have two upcoming autograph signing events.

--Sat. Nov. 19th at the Sandy Costco from 11:00 to 1:00
--Sat. Dec. 3rd at the UVillage Deseret Book (Orem, UT) from 11:00 to 1:00

To purchase books, CDs, or DVDs, the links are under the pictures.

Tennis Shoes Gift Sets!
Click Here or Here.

Autographed DVD or Novel of
PASSAGE TO ZARAHEMLA!
Click Here OR Click Here

Bestselling DVD!

All 3 Novels in
Anita's Series!
The Wanderer
A Far Horizon
A Distant Shore

Chris's MUSIC CD from
"Passage to Zarahemla"
BE TOTALLY SURPRISED!

Another Suspense
Masterwork!
For Book
For Audio CDs!

Bestselling Music CD!

Tennis Shoes Audo Gift Sets!
My price beats 'em all!
Books 1-5 Click Here or Here
Books 6-10 Click Here or Here!

NEWEST RELEASE!
Escape into adventure!!
Autographed Novel
Autographed Audio CDs

Escape Reviews--NO SPOILERS!

2011-10-10T13:30:00.003-06:00

Haven't ordered yet? No problem! Go to:
http://www.frostcave.com/

Hey fans and readers,

Many are likely finishing reading of "Escape to Zarahemla," which means that a few reviews may soon be posted. You can express if you love or hate it, but please don't give away some of the plot twists or the connections with the "Tennis Shoes Adventure Series." Let all readers enjoy those connections on their own.

I'm deeply appreciative of the feedback I've gotten so far. My goal with this book was to return to the non-stop action that likely established my reputation and career. You can let me know if I succeeded. :)

Sincerely,
Chris Heimerdinger

Also, check out some of these great titles available on Amazon:

This book just keeps
earning new fans!
Seeking Persephone

Informative New Book!
400 Questions

New Suspense Yarn!
Rearview Mirror

This is Passage to Zarahemla
in Spanish: The 1st LDS novel
ever translated. Go here:
El Guerrero de Zarahemla

David Woolley's long-
awaited sequel.
Compass of God

Tea Party vs Occupy Wall Street - Guest Post

2011-10-07T15:55:00.002-06:00

**This is a guest post.

The views expressed in this post are not necessarily shared by Chris Heimerdinger**

Hello, my name is Courtney. I am a Tea Partier, complete with "Don't Tread on Me" flag hanging on my wall. I won't get into why I consider myself part of the Tea Party. Suffice it to say that if you were to look around at my blog, you would understand why I identify with the Tea Party principles.

The Tea Party is not a political party, but generally a local organization of people who share the same ideals and principles. Just like local churches, the Boy Scouts of America and 4-H, The Tea Party consists of Libertarians, Republicans, Independents AND Democrats (though I'm pretty sure it's safe to say no Socialists identify with the Tea Party).

So that being said, anyone who doesn't want to listen to my "racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, war mongering, right-wing extremist" rant, feel free to click the "back" button on your browser. By the way, I dare you to find any racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic or war mongering language anywhere on my blog (sarcasm doesn't count).

Ok, are you ready? Those lovely demonstrators on Wall Street have peaked my interest just a bit over these last few weeks.

There have been some who have compared the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters to the Tea Party Movement. To quote the Vice President; "I think the Tea Party and the Van Jones folks are different halves of the same concern." Then he went on to say that there is some truth to what the Tea Party had to say.

Hold the PHONE! I thought we were all racist! That the only reason we disagreed with the President is because he was black! So which is it Mr. Biden? Are we bigoted hate-mongers who protest the president for no other reason than that he is black, or do we have some valid points that his POLICY has failed miserably (which Mr. Biden has also admitted to recently.) Even some Tea Partiers look at the current protesters and think "Hey, wait a minute! I agree with some of what they are saying!" But don't be fooled. They are nothing like us.

The hypocrisy of the left and the main stream media (MSM) is enough to make my head explode--but before anyone comments that they would like for my head to actually explode, please remember that I'M the hate-monger here. Don't rain on my parade folks.

There are also those who think that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are not even kind of close to the tea party. I would tend to agree with that assessment.

1. Let us begin with the obvious difference with the names of their causes. The Tea Party and the 9/12 Project dedicated April 21st for us to participate in a "Flash Mob of Kindness", a day dedicated to serving and helping those in need. This October 20th has been dedicated as a day to perform a random act of kindness. Contrast that with Van Jones and September 17th being the kick off day for the "Days of Rage". Now doesn't that sound all warm and fuzzy? It just makes you want to make the world a better place doesn't it?

Let's move on shall we?

2. The charge is that that the Tea Party consists of KKK members, Nazi's and other violent groups. Out of the 301 Tea Party Express protests, how many police encounters were there? One. There was one encounter with the police. After twenty days of "Occupy Wall Street" protests there have been over 1000 arrests (not surprisingly the arrests jumped up quite a bit once the unions showed up). Oh, I know what you're going to say: "It's those cops! It's their fault!" Or maybe, just maybe, the Tea Party as a whole isn't violent at all--and that the anarchists who have invaded Wall Street are. See, the Tea Party is made up of families who have a defined purpose in their opposition. Cut the spending. Cap the growth. Balance the budget. Oh yeah, and we want smaller government. Notice I said smaller government not no government. On the other hand even the MSM has admitted that no one really knows what the "Occupy Wall Street" people want. They are protesting everything from high taxes to the wars to the price of broccoli. These guys are not concerned about goals, they are concerned about chaos. That is why professors and activists are encouraging people to get out and protest ANYTHING. The only clear message that we have gotten is that they want to collapse the system.

3. To be fair, there is a lot of concentration on the evil banks. A lot of people are talking about the ridiculously high student loans that the evil bank is making them pay back. Now call me crazy, but I could have sworn that it was the colleges and universities that set tuition costs, not the banks. Before you comment, please remember that it's 2011, not 2008. The banks are not the bad guys this time. And do you remember this guy? He swore that "That's the bank stole my parent's house!"

That is a very heart wrenching story. If only it were true. The facts are a bit different from Robert's claims. The truth is that his parents' house has not, nor has it ever been in foreclosure. The remaining balance on their mortgage on their $500k home is less than one year's worth of tuition and fees at the prestigious law school that their son has decided to attend.

4. This is one I've personally had said to my face. Conservatives and Christians are brainwashed and don't know how to think for themselves. So let me get this straight, by the mere fact that I disagree with you, I have clearly been brainwashed and oppressed.

Really? I'M brainwashed?

You know what, you are right. I just need to be liberated so that I can think for myself and fall in line to be just like everyone else.

5. The Tea Party is racist. We've all heard this one. Not just the Tea Party, but Republicans are racist. Christians are racists. Any conservative person is racist. And President Obama (then nominee Obama) himself has said that...

That's right. Typical white people are racist and it has been bred into them. Ok. Got it.

Except that in spite of the many claims of racism against the Tea Party, a $100,000 reward for video or audio proving said racism came up empty. You'd think that with with everyone whipping out their cell phones the second there is anything remotely interesting happening, there would be something tangible to prove that it happened. Is it possible that maybe racism within the Tea Party is the exception rather than the rule? Though, I'm sure that there were a few people who tried to take advantage of the situation to further their agenda.

Notice the sign in the background indicating he is a communist infiltrator and that he doesn't represent the Tea Party. After asking him repeatedly to leave or at least turn his offensive shirt inside out they decided that the best way to deal with him was to pray for him. How hateful of them. I've heard this kind of rhetoric before.

On balance I thought I should play some videos from the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, considering that is what has inspired my commentary.

Need I go on? These people are clearly disturbed. But what I want to know is why the MSM decides to make the few clearly disturbed and hateful people the poster children of the Tea Party, and yet not mention these guys at all?

The left plays the race card every single time. It's what people do when there is no logical argument left for them to use. They are desperate so they call me a racist. They say the only reason I don't like Obama's policies is because he's black. And get this, the only reason why I LIKE Hermain Cain is because he's black. So all things being equal, I'm a racist no matter who I support. How is that for ironclad logic?

6. They say "Occupy Wall Street" is grass roots. The Tea Party is an actual grass roots organization. It's a true from the bottom up organization that started with normal, every day people. The "Occupy Wall Street" protests are anything but. In less than three weeks of protesting, the participants have health insurance, free health clinics, a newspaper and the UNIONS! That's not grass roots folks! This is organized and funded by people with deep pockets and a lot of political capital.

7. The Tea Party only wants to destroy.

Remember those "what's different in these two pictures" games? Lets play shall we?

This is from the close of the the 9/12 rally in 2009.

Notice how the stuff made it into the trash cans.

This is from the close of Obama's inaugural address. Nice.

This is from after the Glenn Beck's 8/28 Restoring Honor Rally.

Aprox. 600,000 people were in attendance.

And this is from the 10/2 "One Nation" Rally.

Don't you just love how they treat our flag?

Not everyone tried so hard

We really should give them a break though. I mean, Ed Schultz said that more people were at the "One Nation" rally than at the "Restoring Honor" rally. Let's take a look.

Oops. Wrong again Ed. I find it especially ironic that the left, who claim to be the champions of Mother Earth, would allow our Nations Capital to be left in such a state.

The liberal script on the Tea Party is a lie. This is what the Tea Party really looks like (photo's courtesy of glennbeck.com)

Truly frightening.

8. For those of you who loudly proclaim that the ends justify the means, you'd think that our conservative "means" would warrant a little less hostility considering how successful our "ends" have been.

I understand that not everyone believes in God. Not everyone thinks that the traditional family is necessary or desirable, and that not everyone believes people should only have sex in loving, committed, monogamous, MARRIED relationships. You can think what you want. But you can hardly argue with our results. Guess what, two virgins who marry each other and live in a completely monogamous relationship have zero chance of contracting an STD.

For example, according to adherents.com:

Utah was ranked as the #1 best state in which to raise children in by the Children's Right's Council. Provo, Utah was ranked as the #1 healthiest city in the country for women, and the Salt Lake City-Ogden metro area as the best place to live in North America. People in Utah are 7 times less likely to commit suicide.

Despite the fact that Utah ranks next-to-last in educational spending, Utah spends a much greater percentage of their budget on education with the results that Utah has:

the highest high school graduation rates in the nation
the 2nd highest percentage of high school graduates
the highest number of AP exams taken and passed per capita
ranked 7th in the nation academically, beating out states that spend nearly $10,000 more per student.

Utah also spends a significantly smaller portion of their budget on public welfare with the following results:

lowest child poverty rate in the nation
lowest number of teen pregnancies
lowest number of children born to single or unwed mothers
highest amount of money given by wealthy (over $200k) to charity

Utah is arguably considered the MOST conservative state in the United States and it's doing FAR better than the national average in all of these categories and more. We conservatives must be doing something right.

Yet conservative values are constantly being met with scorn and ridicule. We are prudish, sheltered and brainwashed. Or maybe, just maybe, we know exactly what we are doing and don't actually have to EXPERIENCE something in order to understand and choose to reject it.

The problem with conservatives is not that we are stupid or bigoted or any of those things that most libs call us. The problem is that we're fairly boring. We lead simple, happy, contented lives. There is rarely a need for us to go out and protest. Protesting is only something that we've started doing recently. We don't have talking points or cool (albeit misleading) slogans full of alliteration or rhymes. When we go on the news, we speak as if we are having a conversation with a neighbor. As a whole, we don't interrupt or shout down our opponent. We can separate someone's political beliefs from their character because we believe that "by their fruits ye shall know them." As long as someone DOES good and is polite and isn't hostile, I can respect and love them even if they don't believe what I do. I have an aunt and uncle with whom I disagree on almost everything, especially on politics. But they are really enjoyable to be around, they are generous and fun, and they forgive me when I am occasionally insensitive. Most importantly, while they may not agree with what I say, they are willing to listen to me and not shout me down and call me brainwashed--at least not to my face.

Good intentions are all well and good, but nothing really comes out of good intentions. Good intentions that are meant to come to fruition by the sweat of another man's brow will never lead to lasting peace and prosperity. It doesn't matter what someone WANTS to do, what matters is what they DO. Are you moved by speeches and rhetoric, or are you moved by example and actions?

By their fruits ye shall know them.

Anyone who listened to the Ronald Reagan's 1964 speech entitled "A Time For Choosing"would be absolutely astounded at the parallels to our troubles today. All we would have to do is replace "Vietnam" with "The War on Terror" or "Radical Islam" and "The Soviet Union" or "The Iron Curtain" with "The Middle East" and we've got a speech which is almost perfectly applicable to today. Does anyone else wonder why it is that the same problems keep coming up? For every step forward we make toward liberty and justice, it seems a generation later we take one back toward progressivism and relative morality. It's because we don't teach history in our schools anymore. Instead, we memorize dates. It's because the terrorists and radical revolutionaries that were defeated yesterday are the professors and elitists in our universities today (Francis Fox Piven, Bill Ayers, Cornel West, the list goes on). They are indoctrinating our children in the universities that no longer even bother to teach critical thought. They took a few years off to refine their technique, but they are now back and are determind to get it right this time.

Society drills it into our kids that you can't possibly get a job or succeed in life without a college degree, preferably from an ivy league school. And so the schools, knowing they've got the support from the federal government for "free money" and guaranteed federal loans, continue to drive up the cost of tuition. Tuition has inflated to nearly 10 times the amount that it was in the 70's. That is far more than the inflation of the cost of living, housing or medicine. We walk into banks and beg for loans because we can't get jobs without a college degree and we promise to pay the money back. We are told we aren't qualified to teach our kids without that all-powerful piece of paper, even though Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and countless other extremely successful people were college dropouts. Then the people behind the lies sic their students on the very banks that made it possible for them to go to college in the first place. People scream about their horrendous student loans and lament that education is a right and should be free. Yet they would never admit that if they walked down to their free local public library and read those books, they would probably get a better education then they could ever get in a university (instructional schools like med school, dental school, etc. excepted.) Silver spoon fed kids who have never worked a day in their lives demand that the rich "pay their fair share" even though no one will define exactly what "fair share" means.

We have gone from a society which had celebrated and was inspired by success, to a depraved culture filled with envy that wants nothing more than to punish those who have something they don't. We have an administration that wants to put a cap on charitable deductions in the name of "charity," and outright lies to us when comparing tax rates between Warren Buffet and his secretary. People claim it's all about fairness and leveling the playing field, but the truth of the matter is that most of those people are thinking about what they can get out of the deal. I know this because I have talked with them. I know them very well.

For once I would like someone to admit that being rich or poor has very little to do with your income and almost everything to do with your attitude. Those who always look at having more, more, more and never practice self-restraint will always feel like they are poor, no matter how high their income.

Morality, individual responsibility, and the strict adherence to the true laws of economics (not the perverse version given to us by Keynes) will pull our society out of the gutter and back into prosperity.

All of this may sound discouraging, but I have good news. Do you remember ever playing "Red Rover" when you were a kid? It doesn't matter how many people are on the other side, what matters is how strongly you hold the line. All we have to do is hold the line. Stand strong and hold to the truth, and make sure people know where you stand. Hold on to others who share your values and can help lift you up. Since we put our strength in ourselves and in our Father in Heaven, we are much more likely to be able to hold strong than the other side, because our foundation is based on truth--not trends. They can try and shout us down and scream and call us names all they want. They could even "re-educate" or "eliminate" us like the weather underground wanted to do back in the 60's. They will never win. There will always be someone who rises up and says "This is WRONG! It doesn't make ANY sense!" Truth never dies and never changes. As long as there are people willing to THINK there will be those who think outside the indoctrination. As a former liberal I know this to be true.

Those of you who are still on the fence and think it doesn't really matter, the time has come for you to decide. If you don't hold tight to the iron rod, you will be swept away when the waves of evil crash over you.

Thank you to Chris Heimerdinger for allowing me to post on his sounding board!

Chris Heimerdinger Youtube Interview: "Escape from Zarahemla"

2011-10-05T22:52:00.003-06:00

My publisher filmed an interview to coincide with the release of Escape from Zarahemla. It offers what I hope is a concise explanation of what this novel tries to accomplish and how it ties into the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series. Yeah, I think I look a bit pudgy. But, oh well. I AM a bit pudgy. (Just got a membership at the new Gold's Gym in our neighborhood last week. So there's hope. :)

Anyway, here's the link. I hope it answers all question about the novel itself, including info about the upcoming Tennis Shoes novel, Thorns of Glory, and other things I'm often asked in emails.

As an update, by tomorrow ALL pre-orders of the book and AUDIOBOOK for Escape to Zarahemla will have been mailed. Yes, the Audiobook arrived at my publisher this morning. Woo-hoo! For those who ordered, the package should soon be in your mailbox. I hope this Youtube video encourages others to make the plunge into this adventure as well. :)

Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D2Q1mR53OM

To order any books or audiobooks, go to: http://www.frostcave.com/shop/

Sincerely,

Chris Heimerdinger

Escape from Zarahemla SHIPS MONDAY!

2011-09-30T18:37:00.001-06:00

I've seen it. I can officially confirm that it exists (unlike Area 51). I get my big shipment, including the audio CDs for this book, on Monday afternoon. Then I go on a marathon of packaging and shipping. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR INCREDIBLE PATIENCE! Some fans pre-ordered this thing wayyyyy back in June. Soon all the secrets, as far as how this book weaves into the "Tennis Shoes Adventure Series", which Tennis Shoes characters are featured, etc., etc., will be out. And I can rest. Not really. I'm busily concocting plot and details for the next book! That is, when I'm not promoting this one. To pre-order at the last minute and be part of Monday's mailing extravagana, go to: http://www.frostcave.com/shop/!

Einstein Vs. Abraham and Joseph Smith

2011-09-21T18:51:00.006-06:00

When I was in the 9th Grade at Cody Junior High School (in Cody, Wyoming. Where else?) I had a science teacher named Mr. Hurr. Now, Mr. Hurr was an intimdating dude who at one time had suffered an injury where he lost one of his hands. The prosthetic hand that replaced it must have been made out of cement, because on one occasion when an experiment required a bag of ice, Mr. Hurr felt the young female student was being too gentle with her hammer breaking the ice apart. He proceeded to pulverize the ice with his prosthetic. At the time we kids were very much into Steve Austin, "The Six-Million Dollar Man" whose lost limbs had been replaced with superhero counterparts. Yes, Mr. Hurr and his cement hand were certainly intimidating.

One day while lecturing Mr. Hurr made a statement that stuck with me for years. He declared, "The only unique, original idea ever conceived by another human being in the last century was that of Albert Einstein with his theory of relativity."

I thought about that statement for a long time: "Huh. The only unique idea in a century? Nobody else has ever offered an original thought since?" Over the years this statement has struck me as less and less credible when considering all of the progress of the 20th century. But let's just indulge Mr. Hurr for a moment, shall we? Let's think about this "unique" idea called the Theory of Relativity.

In referencing such theories we have to actually break them down into two separate theories: that of Special Relativity--published by Einstein in 1905--and that of General Relatively, published in 1916. One of the fundamental concepts that emerged as a result of these theories was--simply put--that time itself could be dilated or compressed and had to be measured differently depending upon the "sphere" or point of reference of a particular observer in the universe. Many experiments have been conducted to prove Einstein's theories. Perhaps a more dramatic of these was an experiment conducted in 1971 wherein two physicists, J. C. Hafele and Richard Keating, flew four portable caesium clocks around the world in high-flying passenger jets. They compared these atomic clocks at the beginning and end with reference clocks located on the ground at the US Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Two airplanes few east in their circumnavigation, and the others, west. After about three days, the eastbound clocks lost, on average, 59 nano seconds whereas the westbound clocks gained an average of 273 nanoseconds.

This was only one experiment that dramatized and "proved" Einsteins theories of time dilation and compression. So, according to Mr. Hurr, prior to Albert Einstein, the very concept of time as a maleable thing, moving differently depending upon one's point of reference had never crossed the mind of any other human being. It had hatched exclusively in the brain of Albert Einstein.

After I joined the Church in 1981 I soon had the privilege of reading the Pearl of Great Price, and in particular, the Book of Abraham. The origins of the Book of Abraham are as dramatic and mysterious as the doctrines it reveals. I won't take go into much of that. Suffice it to say that Joseph Smith translated, by the gift and power of God, a segment of a book attributed to the Prophet Abraham from some ancient papyrus (papyri?) found inside a number of Egyptian mummies sold to the Church in 1838. Various samples of these papyrus found their way into several locations over the decades after the Prophet's death. However, the prevalent belief is that the specific document from which Joseph Smith made his translation was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

In any case, certain declarations found in the 3rd Chapter of this work clearly elaborate upon the precise principle of time dilation and compression later proposed by Albert Einstein. Read Abraham 3:4-10. These scriptures are, quite simply, astonishing, especially when considering the era when they were first presented. In all fairness, there is a scripture in 2 Peter 3:8 which states: "...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Today some might credit Peter with offering a similar idea. However, prior to Joseph Smith and Einstien, this verse was never ascribed to anything beyond the mysteries affixed to mortal and immortal realms. It doesn't really elaborate upon the deeper concepts of time dilation and compression as expressed in the Pearl of Great Price. It took Abraham (through Joseph Smith) to layout the kind of complex ideologies later suggested by Einstein.

It would take up too much space to reprint these verses here, and yet it seems an injustice to print only a few, so before continuing, please take a moment, find Abr. 3:4-10, and digest them thoroughly.

Done? Okay. Let's go on.

Now let's return to Mr. Hurr's suggestion that Einstein was the only person in the 20th century to hatch a truly original idea. If this is in any way true, what does that say about Joseph Smith, who presented the same essential concepts seven decades before Einstein (albeit by virtue of a unique resource known as revelation and sans all the math)? Perhaps a more intriguing question is: When will Joseph Smith and the LDS Church be recognized for presenting some of the more fundamental concepts of Special Relativity some seventy years before the great Albert Einstein?

I'm certainly not one to begrudge (at present) the world's failure to recognize the contributions of modern prophets and the fullness of the Lord's gospel. But it seems unimaginable to me that even the most hardened skeptics who have at least a rudimentary knowledge of physics would not find themselves awestruck, impressed, or at the very least puzzled when presented with these seven verses. Try it on someone sometime. I'd love to hear the responses.

* * *

I couldn't help but notice that most of those who have pre-ordered Escape From Zarahemla, book or audio book, have failed to provide instructions as to who these books or CDs should be signed to. It may be that Amazon and www.frostcave.com doesn't really provide a clear way to give such instructions. Let me declare that it's not too late to provide me with the name of the book's future owner, whether signed to an individual or a whole family. Especially if this book is meant to be a gift, I think it's incumbant upon the buyer to take a moment and provide me with this info and, if necessary, declare the occasion (whether a Christmas or birthday present, etc.). Just reply to this email and I'll happily staple your instructions to your printed order. Thanks again for all your support!

@ Copyright 2011, Chris Heimerdinger

Bestsellers and Favorites

2011-09-17T17:07:00.013-06:00

Hey gang!

Two weeks to pre-order the newest "Tennis Shoes" novel, Escape from Zarahemla. Yes, it's a sequel to story that began in (book and movie) Passage to Zarahemla. But as you read it you'll also understand why it's also a "Tennis Shoes" novel. I'm always tempted to reveal more than that, but it would ruin the story for many readers. So mum's the word. To pre-order, go to:
http://www.frostcave.com/shop/

This Amazon thing has turned out to be a lot of fun, and nice support during the "lean" summer experienced by most LDS authors. I wanted to highlight of few of my favorite LDS novels from this season:


Two original collector's editions! Very rare!	Michele Ashman Bell! One of my fave people!	Fun and Funny New Mystery!
Order	Order	Order

Clair Poulsen at it again!	Our best-selling book for the last 2 weeks!	Suspenseful mystery!
Order	Order	Order

New Author! Great Book!	Get 1-5 while it's hot! Price could go up!	Yeah, same with 5-10!
Order	Order	Order

Found this old classic in a garage sale!
Order

A CELEBRATION OF MONTHS: 1 Month to Pre-Order "Escape to Zarahemla"/ Hunter Helaman is 1 Month Old!

2011-09-01T15:00:00.004-06:00

It's September First! So, in theory, this means that my publisher, Covenant Communcation, AKA, Deseret Book, AKA, the LDS Church (many people don't realize that ALL of these companies, including Seagull Book, are subsidiaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which means that, technically, I'm a Church employee!)...Anyway, Escape From Zarahemla will release in 1 (say it with me--ONE!) month.

I finished the audio recording on my birthday, Aug. 26th. Took five days. (It's a long book!) and I was the sole narrator of this one (since it's written in 3rd person). Lots of voices. In the past I've been saddled with having to narrate when I've had a cold, or been all stuffed up, etc., and I can usually hear it in my voice. But for this one I was cold-free. The reading seemed as smooth as molasses. 8 CDs, from what they told me. Or $27.99. Although we are pre-selling it at $25.19 at www.frostcave.com. PRE-ORDER TODAY! If it's easier, just call me directly at 801-495-0555. Especially if you order more than one item. I can generally save folks $$ on shipping. Unlike the AMAZON philosophy, which generally tries to give the seller a dollar or more extra profit on any book sold, I don't believe in making any profit on shipping. I try to be very close to ACTUAL cost.

Those interested in more than one item should check out my books on Amazon. Every LDS author you can imagine--plus lots of great books in general. It's become kind of a sideline to help feed my oversized family. Over 500 products now. However, if you can, try to buy from me directly by calling. I can ALWAYS save you on shipping. To see the managerie of titles, go to: FrostCave on Amazon

Those who pre-order, especially if they live outside Utah, will likely recieve Escape From Zarahemla before their local bookstores. As I've said before, this IS a Tennis Shoes novel. Make no mistake about it. Portions of Book 12: Thorns of Glory will be harder to follow without having read Escape.

Oh, and yeah, I had another birthday. I'm at that age when I don't much count such events anymore. But Emily bought me some nice shirts and new car mats for my Hundai Sonata. Yup, I own the most commonly sold vehicle in America. A few years ago I owned a Honda Accord, also the most commonly sold vehicle at that time. Now I own a Sonata. Next year, it's all Ferraris, but this year we'll stick with more practical modes of transport.

Little Hunter is doing great. Starting to smile. Very wiggly and determined. I predict he'll walk before he's a year old. Here are some additional pictures:

Finally got him with his eyes open!

Hunter and my 8 yr. old daughter, Liahona

Safe in Mommy's hands

Amazonian Joy!!!

2011-08-06T15:52:00.008-06:00

Hey Friends and Fans! All this stuff is found on FrostCave at Amazon OR simply Frostcave.com. PLEASE DON'T do Amazon if you want multiple items. Call me directly with Visa or MC at 801-495-0555. That way, save a GRUNDLE in Shipping. Ask for Chris or leave a message.
ALL PRICES ARE SALE PRICES!! Buy From FrostCave.

PRESALE FOR OCTOBER
Book $15.29
Audio CDs. $25.19

Book $15.49
Audio CDs $25.78

Talk CD $10.67

Book: $15.47
Audio CD: $25.19

Book: $13.47
Audio Book: $23.68

Audio CDs 1-5: $86.95
Audio CDs 6-10: $101.95

RARE OUT-OF-PRINT BOOK
Who'd a Thunk? Yeah, it's pricey. But
mine is NEW and half the price of others.
To view: Go HERE!!

RARE GAME!! (Mine is 2nd listed. Not
Shrink-wrapped. Instead, it is SIGNED!)
Collector's Item. SEE HERE!!

The Next Tennis Shoes Book?

2011-08-02T19:24:00.007-06:00

I'm kinda scratching my head.

I still get at least five emails a day from fans who ask, in essence, "WHEN IS THE NEXT "TENNIS SHOES" BOOK COMING OUT???"

It seems I might not have described Escape from Zarahemla correctly. Or sufficiently. Or accurately.

Fans need to know...Escape from Zarahemla IS a Tennis Shoes book. I think some misunderstanding comes from an author's desire to keep important aspects of a book secret. No, Escape won't reveal what happens between Pagag and Steffanie, or Apollus and Meagan, etc., etc., but I can say this much: Important "backstory" regarding major characters and settings from the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series are revealed in Escape from Zarahemla. That stuff will play on and continue in "Tennis Shoes 12" (Thorns of Glory). So parts of Thorns of Glory will be harder to grasp or enjoy without having first read Escape from Zarahemla.

Whew! Okay, that wasn't so hard. And I don't think I gave away any surprises. So, in the hopes of shrinking (a little) the number of emails I get per day about the "next" Tennis Shoes book, I need fans to know that Escape from Zarahemla, though it is also a sequel to Passage to Zarahemla, is very much a "Tennis Shoes" book and will bring both novels together in a very fun way.

So when is the next Tennis Shoes book coming out? In October! And it's called Escape from Zarahemla.

To pre-order call 801-495-0555 or go the Frost Cave store site at: http://www.frostcave.com/shop/

To visit all our Amazon listings, go here

@Copyright Chris Heimerdinger, August, 2011.

And Introducing: Hunter Helaman Heimerdinger

2011-08-01T01:10:00.014-06:00

Less than 30 minutes after Hunter came into the world.

Birthday: July 29
12:39 AM
Stats: 6 lbs 11 oz
20 inches
Labor: 7 hrs. 30 mins. Natural. No epidural or other meds. (Emily was INCREDIBLE!)
Eye color: Too soon to tell.
Hair color: Dirty blond, like Dad

Hunter Helaman less than one day old.

Never seen so much hair on one of my newborns! The nurses had great fun styling it!

11 kids. Spans from 22 years to 2 days. Our next oldest child is Angelina Cumorah at age 6. This is my first boy in 17 years.

So are we finished? Yes, we think so. We'll see what the Lord thinks, but I'm inclined to say that He supports that consensus. :)

Final Cover: ESCAPE FROM ZARAHEMLA

2011-07-27T16:03:00.008-06:00

I did request one minor change to this current version. I wanted the bottom tagline (or subtitle--which is barely visible here unless you enlarge it by clicking on the image) to read "The Thrilling Sequel to Passage to Zarahemla" and then either italicize or bold the title Passage to Zarahemla. But overall, I think this is MUCH better. Compare for yourself. And then PRE-ORDER the doggone thing! I've gotten orders on books, but no lucky soul has yet pre-ordered the very first audio CDs. I will sign that product as, "First audio CD of this book EVER SOLD!" which, as of this moment, would be quite accurate.

To pre-order, go to:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Escape+From+Zarahemla&x=0&y=0

OR! http://www.frostcave.com/shop/

Or just call me at 801-495-0555 and we'll use my merchant account. So call now! But not tomorrow. ANY day but tomorrow. I'm sort of having a baby tomorrow.

Oh, aw-right. You can leave a message tomorrow and I'll call you back. :)

Copyright, July 2011, Chris Heimerdinger

Movie Review: 17 Miracles

2011-07-25T00:02:00.013-06:00

Sometimes when I've read movie reviews I've thought, "If the reviewer understood a little about actual movie-making, they might know what they're talking about." Well, as far as LDS cinema, I'd have to say that I feel somewhat "qualified."

Unfortunately, since the phenomenon of LDS cinema began (arguably with God's Army in 2000), I've personally followed the same behavior pattern as most other LDS consumers, i.e., I was very excited at first and saw them all--mostly in theatres, and often the day they were released! Then, after feeling like I'd been burned one too many times, I sort of became indifferent. I waited to hear the opinions of others before I saw much of anything. And even when others' reviews were marginally good, I generally waited to see an LDS movie on DVD. Despite a rash of high-quality, low-budget projects out of the gate, I finally came to the conclusion that it just wasn't worth spending my hard-earned $7-10 price for a theatre ticket on a movie that cost under a million to make, especially when I had the alternative of paying for another movie of equal length, in a neighboring theatre, that cost as much as 100 million or more. Maybe it had to do with a long string of relatively poor quality LDS films. Maybe the newness of the phenomenon had simply worn off. Most likely it was a little of both. And sadly, I'm still stuck in that rut, because despite the fact that 17 Miracles had been in theatres since June 3, I only broke down and bought a ticket for it last night, and that was only because we'd already seen (as a family) Captain America the night before and Emily and I couldn't find any other movie for our weekly date night.

Everyone has their favorites as far as LDS films. Peoples' favorites are normally the ones that most touched their hearts. I'll leave my own film off such a list. Not because I'm not proud of the acheivement. But for the same reason I'd leave my own books off such a list. When I'm the creator, not the consumer, I'm simply too close to the project to judge. So with that in mind, my personal favorite LDS film has always been The Best Two Years. Why? Well...I guess, more than anything, because of that single scene where Brother Rogers (K.C. Clyde) bore witness to his investigator, Mr. Harrison (Scott Christopher). That scene really got to me. Yes, there were other fine parts of that movie. If there hadn't been, the really GREAT scene wouldn't have worked. But that single scene really reignited all the feelings associated with my own testimony. Thus, I'll never forget it. Those are the kinds of things that determine our "favorites," right? Well, for me, personally, no other LDS film had quite achieved such a moment. However, finally, with T.C. Christensen's 17 Miracles I can happily report that an LDS filmmaker has once again "got to me."

T.C. has been around a long time. He's always kept a hand in directing, but over the years he's probably become better known as one of the finest cinematographers in the Mountain West, having shot such LDS projects as Emma and Forever Strong. With 17 Miracles I think he has broken his own mold and written, directed, and produced what I think now stands as one of the strongest examples of LDS cinema.

He shares his writing credit on this story, although I think he is the sole author of the screenplay. It may be in the writing where this movie's true genius shines. Not in its wittiness or clever dialogue (though there are examples of both) but primarily in its simplicity. It's honesty.

We've all heard the spiritual anecdotes surrounding the Martin and Willie handcart tragedy for most of our Church lives. I also enjoyed Gerald Lund's historical novel Fire of the Covenant, sat through numerous firesides, and sent about half of my children on the now-traditional handcart treks celebrated by LDS stakes across Utah (and beyond) every four years. Still, the information and storytelling in 17 Miracles struck me with such freshness that it was as if I was hearing these accounts for the first time. The genius, I believe, lies in the choices that T.C. and his co-writers made. Unlike other recountings that I've heard or read, T.C.'s story focused less on history and more on (as emphasized by the title) the miracles. Some of these miracles were new to me, such as the rage-filled husband who failed to recognize his converted wife and children when they were escaping on a train, or the "angel" (played by Bruce Newbold who also happens to be a veteran of Passage to Zarahemla) who provided meat to the starving pioneers and then "disappeared." Perhaps such incidents have been told to me before. Perhaps I'm just growing old and senile. Or perhaps T.C.'s movie dramatizes such events in a way that finally, permanently, seared them onto my memory and into my heart. I'd like to believe that it's the latter.

From the very opening scene the scriptwriters offered a profound comparison between the Donner Party that met a most tragic end in the mountains of California, and the members of the Mormon handcart companies, who might very well have succumbed to the same pressures, but didn't. The reasons why they did not sink to such depths of depravity was, I believe, the main point of the film, and it left viewers with much to ponder. It was this comparison and its inherent themes that, I believe, offered the fresh perspective which made the film's impact particularly strong. It was further emphasized as I read one of the final placards at the film's ending. This historical note informed viewers that the percentage of fatalities experienced by these two handcart companies was not particularly higher than what was experienced by other pioneer parties on the Oregon Trail. If this point is true (and I guess I'd have to brush up on western history to confirm it) it makes the story of the Willie and Martin Handcart companies all the more sublime--the fact that they did NOT succumb to the same savagery as the Donner Party and other groups who endured similar hardships. Instead these Mormon pioneers were bound together by their faith in a common purpose--the desire to follow the Lord's command and reach that magical destination called Zion--and by the abundant miracles that attended them because of their faith.

My congratulations to all involved in this project for injecting a much-needed shot in the arm to LDS cinema. It is a reaffirmation that the "thing" many LDS films have been missing is not big budgets, 3-D effects, vertigo-inducing cinematography, or snappy editing, but a sincerity of storytelling born of simplicity, conviction, and testimony.

I urge all weary consumers of LDS cinema to give this one a chance, particularly before it leaves the big screen. I regret that I waited seven weeks to see it, if only because I could have written this review a little sooner. The fact that 17 Miracles is still in regional theatres after seven weeks and during such a hyped summer box-office season might be considered the 18th miracle surrounding this production. Or perhaps not. The fact is, this movie--because of its fine performances, veteran skills, and poignant storytelling-- sincerely deserves the attention and success that it is acheiving.

@ Copyright, Chris Heimerdinger 2011

Pre-Sales Begin For "Escape From Zarahemla"

2011-07-22T15:13:00.001-06:00

To pre-order Escape From Zarahemla for shipment in October, call 1-801-495-0555. Ask for Chris.
(other ordering options listed below)

Okay, what you're looking at here is only the "preliminary" cover for Escape From Zarahemla. The main reason I went a little psycho and told the publisher they couldn't go this direction was because it features three Gadianton characters who are DEAD!! All three of these guys died in the first novel and movie Passage to Zarahemla. I also didn't like the smiling, lighthearted expressions on Kerra and Brock. Reminded me too much of something like The Buttercream Gang. So I explained to the artists that this was an INTENSE STORY with wall-to-wall action and the character's expressions should reflect such. Thus, we went back to the drawing board, found MUCH better character images, and changed things up quite a bit. The new cover will (I'm told) feature Nephites instead of Gadiantons, and a jaguar. I'll reveal the final cover as soon as they finish it.

None of this matters, of course, when pre-ordering the book or audio CDs. We've already discounted both products from the publisher's suggested retail prices ($16.99 and $27.99.) If you order directly from me by calling 1-801-495-0555, shipping will be a little cheaper. If it's more convenient, you can also order from Amazon, but those who know Amazon know that shipping is $4.00 for every single item, so if you want, say, the book AND the audio CDs, or two books, or whatever, then you should DEFINITELY order directly from me or from http://www.frostcave.com/. Also, if you want a personalized autograph for the purposes of a gift, etc., ordering with my merchant account makes that process much simpler.

So here are the three ways to pre-order the newest adventure:

1. Call me direct at 801-495-0555 with a Visa or MC. Ask for Chris.
2. Go to: http://www.frostcave.com/shop
3. Use Amazon. For the BOOK, go to:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608615391?ie=UTF8&seller=A3DJOE9ISPI8WO&sn=FrostCave
For the AUDIO CDs go to:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608615405?ie=UTF8&seller=A3DJOE9ISPI8WO&sn=FrostCave

My sincere thanks to all my fans and readers through the years. I hope the feedback in October confirms my instincts that Escape From Zarahemla is one of the most exciting and satisfying Book of Mormon adventures I've written. :)

To see other great AMAZON sale items, scroll down to the bottom of this webpage!!

@Copyright 2011 by Chris Heimerdinger

The Edge of Our Seats!

2011-07-19T18:54:00.009-06:00

In an event filled summer, with a new book at the press, research for the next book underway, a new 15-passenger van in my driveway, my father's 80-th birthday, 4 kids at EFY, a dozen other Church, ward and stake activities, etc., etc., the most profound, extraordinary and magnificent summer event is scheduled to take place in less than ten days. Namely, the birth my new son, Hunter Helaman!

It's a daunting prospect to say the least. I haven't had a brand new baby for six years. Additionally, I haven't had a SON for 17 years! As I recall, it is much more difficult having a baby son around the house than a baby daughter. I'm not playing favorites. (Actually, the roles sort of reverse in complexity as they become teens!) but as babies and toddlers, girls (at least in my experience) are much easier to handle. However, my wife, Emily, appears eager and up to the task, despite her perpetual discomfort, Braxton hicks, and inability to ever get comfortable enough to enjoy a full night's slumber. The baby is due in early August, but actually being induced on July 28th (to avoid certain medical complications). So in 9 days, our lives will once again be filled with diapers, spit-ups, late night pacing, and continuous Sacrament meeting interruptions. And you know what? This is my last one. I know it. I've fully digested this fact, and because of it, I plan to cherish every moment--from the crying to the puking to the disposable "blowouts" (only an experienced parent would fully know what that term means in this context).

So in the midst of all this, one might wonder, what about Tennis Shoes Book 12?! Yes, I still get an average of 5 emails per day wanting to know about the novel's progress. I'll only say this: ideas are hatching, plots are thickening, and breath-taking climaxes are being orchestrated. Sadly, no matter what else is happening in my life, I can never totally turn off the spigot of my imagination. It's actually a bit of a peculiar, distressing thing. Even as I witness the sacred birth of my child, my mind will occasionally--inevitably--ruminate upon some plot point or character from whatever new project is dominating my attention. If I could help it, I assure you, I would. Such is a curse of being an artist. Or maybe just the curse of having a personality plagued by A.D.D. Either way, a part is my mind is forever bouncing like a pinball, desperately searching for a place to land. I suppose the only respite I have from this "disease" is the moment that I actually complete a novel, or a movie, or a song. Even so, the moment lasts only about 45 seconds. Then it's off to my next fantastical wonderland. But ohhh!, what a golden 45 seconds of freedom those precious seconds truly are! They are worth all the creative effort that came before.

In a day or two I will begin to offer pre-orders for Escape to Zarahemla, still scheduled for an October release. I now know the price--both of the book and the audio book--and I have seen the first mock-ups of the cover design. Honestly, I didn't like my publisher's first efforts at a cover. But with a little extra work I think we've finally found the needed images of Kerra, Brock and other characters, plus a gnarly face-forward image of a jaguar, which is very "story appropriate," as readers will discover soon enough.

Don't call me quite yet for pre-orders. Give me another day or so. I may have to post the "mock-up" cover for now and the final cover next week. Today I'm actually working with the editor on a final draft of the manuscript. The more I read my own words, the more satisfied I am with the pure adventure this story offers. It's quite breathtaking at moments (if I do say so). The Book of Mormon has been a source of inexhaustible inspiration for me throughout my career, and Escape to Zarahemla is no exception. I truly believe readers will be immersed in the Nephite world in ways that have never yet been explored or imagined. In any case, it's a much more engaging (and longer) read than Passage to Zarahemla. My hope is that readers will grip the edge their seats with enthrallment, just as with the most intense moments of any other Tennis Shoes adventure. Then, when this novel concludes, both book series will magically blend together in perfect and poetic way that should surprise and please the most discriminating fans.

When the time comes (let's say Friday), you can pre-order from me directly by phone, or you can simply go to this blog's companion site at http://www.frostcave.com/. Lastly, you can go to my Amazon account called FrostCave found at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=A3DJOE9ISPI8WO

Shucks, you can go there now if you have a hankering and see hundreds of great LDS titles that came into my hands earlier this year--most of them brand new and in mint condition. Take special note of the price on Tennis Shoes sets--books and/or audio. Honestly, no one else can touch the prices that I can offer--even including shipping!!

So for now, stay tuned! Not merely for the pre-sale of Escape to Zarahemla. Mostly for the announcement of the long-awaited arrival--on July 28th--of the planet's newest occupant: Hunter Helaman Heimerdinger.

Amazon Adventure!

2011-06-22T20:03:00.009-06:00

Hey folks! Selling stuff (especially MY stuff!! ) has been lots of fun on Amazon. Just like my website, my Amazon name is FrostCave. I think I'm offering the lowest prices on just about everything I've listed, including new releases and golden oldies! Go to: http://www.amazon.com/shops/A3DJOE9ISPI8WO
If you are interested in one of the books listed below, click on the TITLE, not the PICTURE!

Tennis Shoes Audio Vols. 1-5: $86.95
Tennis Shoes Audio Vol. 6-10: $101.95

River Whispers: $13.49

Shadows of Brierly: The Wanderer: $13.53
Shadows of Brierly: A Far Horizon: $13.53

Sorcerers and Seers: $14.40

Whispered Visions (Songs from Passage to Zarahemla): $8.95

You're Gonna Make It!: $4.80

Passage to Zarahemla (Original Edition):
$5.95

Tennis Shoes (Books) Vols. 1-5: $50.95
Tennis Shoes (Books) Vols. 6-10: $60.95

Attack the Lusitania!: $14.95

Passage to Zarahemla DVD:
$11.75

The Perfect Fit: $13.55

Backliner for "Escape From Zarahemla"

2011-06-21T20:29:00.004-06:00

Hey, I thought I'd share the backliner that I conjured up with a little help from my publishers. Backliners for a novel are always a little overstated (and slightly corny), but I think I like the way this captures the tie-in this story will have with the Tennis Shoes series. Your comments are welcomed!!!

As the Passageway Reopens,

Mysteries and Peril Emerge.

It's been six months since the inexplicable passage to Zarahemla disintegrated and disappeared. Kerra and Brock McConnell have been reunited with their long-lost father, but an emptiness remains in Kerra's heart as she watches her Nephite warrior, Kiddoni, fade away in a vortex of time—possibly forever.

As a violent flash flood washes through the forested hollow near Leeds, Utah, it reawakens The Whistlers and reignites the mystical rift that leads to ancient America. Kerra and Brock quickly learn of multiple secrets their father did not reveal about his 12-year sojourn in the first century A.D. Everyone soon realizes that such puzzles will have mind-bending ramifications for their lives and draw them into a predicament as lethal as obsidian blades, with enemies as ruthless as the darkest savages, and evils that could destroy their family once and for all.

In the fury of adventure, Kerra and Brock McConnell find themselves in league with familiar friends from other Chris Heimerdinger novels, fighting alongside these valiant heroes and binding together Escape From Zarahemla with the wildly imaginative Tennis Shoes Adventure Series!

Revel in the wondrous spectacle as two

series of adventure novels merge into one!

Escape From Zarahemla: Manuscript Delivered

2011-06-01T22:29:00.003-06:00

That's right. What more can I add to that? Last night at about midnight I emailed to my publisher an attachment of the sequel to Passage to Zarahemla, entitled Escape From Zarahemla. The whole experience was kind of surreal, especially so late at night. I was so wrapped in every word and phrase of this novel that I felt like my objectivity had flown the coup as to whether this doggone thing was any good.

Amazing what 24 hours will do. This is a darn good book, if I do say so myself. A roller-coaster ride. Some readers may find the ending more satisfying than any book since The Golden Crown. Yup, plot elements actually resolve. Not all of it. But a lot. And the feeling is sorta cool. Dang, I like this book. It's a fun romp, not only in a unique Book of Mormon time period, but also utilizing time travel and space/time concepts that I hadn't explored before in quite the same way. It's fun. Or at least I think it's fun. How long have I been doin' this? Twenty-two years? Nice thing about it is that I've never written a book where I ever felt I short-ended the reader. Every ounce of imagination that I can muster is always brought to bear. And I think readers appreciate the results. One lazy book can compromise decades of trust. I hope I never do that to fans, no matter the money or rewards.

My publisher is apparently looking at early October for its release. I'm sure I'll pre-sell autographed copies as soon as I learn the final price or get some kind of cover. Like I said in an earlier blog, the book is longer and much more involved than the original Passage story. It's better than the original, but way too expensive to make into a movie. The trained jaguars alone...Anyway, Kerra McConnell is such a rich character with many layers and edges. I don't want to spoil any surprises, but I'll confess that there are many, and that some surprises should offer fans a satisfying adrenaline rush.

In the meantime, help me out by buy off all these Amazon books that I've posted. Go to: http://www.amazon.com/shops/A3DJOE9ISPI8WO

All orders will earn you Escape from Zarahemla chapters 3 and 4 (chapters 1 and 2 are already posted here). Just email me directly after you place an order and make the request. My special thanks to all who've done exactly that. Hey, until this book is published, Amazon feeds my family. And remember, you don't have to use Amazon. You can generally save money in shipping just by calling me directly at 801-495-0555 to place any order.

Thanks for your faith, your endurance, and your readership. I hope this goes down as another heart-pounding Heimerdinger adventure.

@Copyright June 2011, Chris Heimerdinger

Sneak Peek: Scene from "Escape From Zarahemla"

2011-05-24T19:53:00.003-06:00

Here's kind of a treat. Just a scene from Escape From Zarahemla. I hope you enjoy it:

Kerra gave a start. She was still peering into the archway below the mighty ceiba tree. Something about the scene through the wall of energy had surprised her.

"What is it?" asked her father.

"Not sure," said Kerra. "An animal. A shadow. I heard . . . some kind of growl."

Dad's response was more intense than anyone expected. "Quickly!" he directed. "Climb!"

He meant that everyone should climb the trunk of the massive ceiba tree. It was certainly bulkier and more accessible to climbing than any trees in the hollow. Kerra wasn't sure why her father had reacted so dramatically, yet something deep inside her echoed the same anxiety. Still, how would climbing this the toppled trunk of this tree protect them?

Despite their doubts, everyone acted with urgency. Dad helped his son, then Kerra, and finally Grandpa Lee to hoist themselves up the mossy branches, like steps on a ladder, until they reached the trunk's topside. Dad leaped up behind them, motioning everyone to ascend the fallen tree as high as possible, to the place where it hovered directly above the archway. At this point the tree was supported by its mushrooming limbs, so thick that it formed cavernous niches and offered multiple places to hide. Kerra made her way among the limbs, balancing herself by clinging to mossy and leaf-covered sprigs. Suddenly Dad held up his hand—a signal that everyone should remain perfectly still.

Kerra and Dad were wedged in a good position to view whatever emerged from the "rift." She studied her father's face, desperate to ask what he thought she'd seen or heard. She began to doubt the alarm bells in her gut. To her it was just a shadow—perhaps nothing at all. Her description of a "growl" seemed odd too. Why had she called it that? The more she thought about it, the more abstractly she remembered it. She couldn't really compare it to any sound she'd ever—

A subtle hissing, sizzling sound resonated below them. Kerra watched as a living thing slowly emerged from the vortex. At first she thought it was a man—someone in a bright orange cape with a mottled hood. After all, there was a collar around its neck. Its movements were lithe and sinister. Definitely an animal. A jaguar.

Kerra caught her breath. She instinctively moved her hand to her mouth to suppress any possible sound. A jaguar!—wearing a collar? And an extravagant collar at that—embossed leather with jadestone. A pet jaguar? Who could say? In any case, it was enormous. Kerra wasn't certain that she'd ever set eyes on a live jaguar before. Her memory of the large cats at the Los Angeles Zoo sort of blended together. Still, she wouldn't have expected a jaguar to be all that much larger than a leopard or mountain lion. However, the enormity of this beast reminded her of a Bengal Tiger. Its movement's were liquid, flawless. A low growl escaped its throat, eyes moving right to left across the breadth of the forest. Its actions seemed calculated, deliberate. It struck Kerra that it was thinking. Thinking like a person. Searching for something. Was it hunting? If so, what?

By the look on Dad's face, she realized he feared it was hunting them. But that seemed ridiculous unless . . . unless somehow it had sensed their presence across the rift, much the same way that she'd sensed its presence. But what about that collar? Kerra remembered seeing a collared jaguar in some Book of Mormon painting. Lying at the feet of . . . Was it King Noah? Did such an accessory mean that this creature wasn't wild? If it was some kind of pet, why should they fear it at all?

None of these thoughts squelched her feelings of alarm and fear. Every muscle of this beast was rigid and tense, as if ready to pounce and deliver a lethal strike. All at once it raised its head and sniffed the air. This movement allowed Kerra to glimpse its eyes. It took every bit of self discipline not to gasp. She'd never seen such eyes on an animal. They had a sheen of intelligence. And something else. Something black and evil. Dad pressed a finger to his lips, still pleading--urging--for everyone to remain calm and still.

The creature wandered to the place where Brock had found Hitch's leather choker. It sniffed the earth. Kerra glanced at Brock. Her brother was clenching his teeth rather crookedly. His eyes were crossed, focusing on something at the end of his nose. Kerra realized it was an insect—a large ant. It seemingly ran in a circle around the end of his nose, like a dog searching for a place to lie down. Her brother didn't budge, but the urge to slap it away dominated every thought.

Kerra felt a terrible sting on her shin. It burned as if someone had stubbed out a cigarette against her flesh. Something had bit her. She glanced down at her pants. Ants climbed all over her ankles and clothes! Ants were all over the tree. Her family had positioned itself right in the middle of an ant expressway. The bite burned and throbbed, as if the pest had bitten off a dime-sized hunk. Then came another sting, lower down on her opposite leg.

Still, Kerra did not move. Amazingly, neither did Brock. Dad and Grandpa Lee also remained like statues. The jaguar peered into the forest, scanning for prey. It seemed poised there forever. At last it turned and stalked back toward the wall of energy. Its progress was steady, yet to Kerra it moved in slow motion. At last she heard another sizzling, sucking sound. She watched until the jaguar's undulating tail slipped into the rift and disappeared. The sizzling ended.

Immediately, Kerra began slapping, swiping, and scratching ants off her body. The relief was all-encompassing as she itched a half dozen places where the insects had successfully devoured a chunk of her flesh. Brock and Grandpa were also slapping off ants. Dad's focus, however, remained riveted on the archway.

"What was it?" asked Grandpa.

"Where did it come from?" asked Brock. "A jaguar with a collar?"

"It belongs to Akuhuun," said Dad, "the son of Giddianhi, former king of the Gadiantons."

"He owns a trained jaguar?" asked Kerra.

"He owns two of them," said Dad. "Trained only for one thing. To hunt and to kill. We've just seen one of the Demon Balám."

@ Copyright Chris Heimerdinger, May 2011

First Draft Complete!!! ESCAPE FROM ZARAHEMLA!

2011-05-19T10:23:00.004-06:00

Okay, so I actually finished it the day before yesterday. I didn't make this announcement yet because I wanted to write a single "Chapter Note" for the whole book, and that's what I wrote yesterday, offering some insight on the Book of Mormon time period that is the focus of Escape, as well as starting the exhausting process of polishing the manuscript for delivery to the publisher.

Tons of action. Tons of twists. I got an email once from someone who said he wished I'd go back and write something like Gadiantons and the Silver Sword, calling it non-stop action from beginning to end. I'm not even sure I'd classify Gadiantons that way. But the idea of surprises and twists and danger around every corner was definitely on my mind. And coincidentally, both novels are about the same length.

I don't know what more I can say about it without offering up plot spoilers. Everyone knows this book ties into the Tennis Shoes series, right? I think if I said anything beyond that, it might ruin the book for that ambitious breed who buys these books hot off the shelf the very week they are released. For the others, who unfortunately get caught in a conversation with an exuberant fan who spills too many beans, all I can say is, buy earplugs. :)

In my last post I offered folks who bought stuff on my Amazon link (or who just called directly at 801-495-0555 and placed an order) an opportunity to have emailed to them Chapters 3 and 4 of Escape From Zarahemla. I'm not sure I made it clear that after ordering, you must email me directly at cheimerdinger@gmail.com and make the request because Amazon doesn't really provide your email address. Or you can just ask me to do it when you call. Remember, you save $$ by calling directly. Again, lots of stuff to sell from the old cheimerdinger.com website. I also threw in a few new releases by Anita Stansfield and others. Go to:

http://www.amazon.com/shops/A3DJOE9ISPI8WO

Many will ask me, "When can I pre-order Escape from Zarahemla?" I'm assuming around mid-summer. First the publisher has to confirm a price. It's nice if they have a cover designed as well, but not mandatory. I hope to offer a pre-sale soon. In the meantime, let me catch my breath and celebrate (for at least a minute) the completion of a new novel before I hastily dive into yet another project. Thanks for your readership and support!

@ Copyright May 2011 by Chris Heimerdinger

New Releases on Amazon!

2011-05-14T11:20:00.001-06:00

I've put up 80% of the products that I inherited from the old cheimerdinger.com webstore. It's a lot of work posting all that stuff. I've devoted most spare time to writing the sequel to Passage to Zarahemla. There are also brand new releases from authors like Anita Stansfield with her romance A Far Horizon, and my wife's new favorite cookbook called LDS Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Secret Recipes. Also find some of the greatest works from folks like:

Rachel Nunes
John Bytheway
Gerald Lund
Ron Carter
Debbie Harmon
Obert Skye
Michele Ashman Bell
Betsy Brannon Green, etc!

Many of these titles I only have ONE COPY to sell. I make a concerted effort to offer the lowest price on a brand book. Don't miss out! Go to:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=A3DJOE9ISPI8WO

I'll have a big announcement to post about Escape From Zarahemla in a few days. So...stay tuned. :)

@ Copyright May 2011 by Chris Heimerdinger

Escape From Zarahemla: Chapter One and Chapter Two

2011-05-07T12:44:00.009-06:00

Greetings Zarahemla Fans!

As many long-time blog readers know, I've already posted Chapter 1. Those who read it many months ago may find differences and improvements, but it's basically the same chapter. Don't worry about typos and such. That's what editors are for. I promise they will be corrected. Just enjoy the progress of the story.

Because I've suddenly found myself with a ton of unsold books and products from the old cheimerdinger.com website, I wanted to offer a special "incentive" to those who purchase some of these items. No, they're not all posted yet, but I'm getting close. Frankly, I've wanted to devote my time to finishing up Escape From Zarahemla rather than spend so many hours putting up books on Amazon. Nevertheless, I have well over 200 items on the site now. Anyone who purchases any item from Amazon (or from me directly--just call 1-801-495-0555 and thereby save some shipping money) I will send Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Escape From Zarahemla upon request. You have to request it because sometimes, especially if you order from Amazon instead of directly from me, I won't know your email address. The chapters will be sent as an attachment. This is only for new orders made after the posting of this blog. For those who are wondering, yes, you will find any and all Passage to Zarahemla products--Book, Audio Book, and DVD--just to make sure you're up to date with the adventure. Go to:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=A3DJOE9ISPI8WO

It may be true that reading Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 will only make someone more anxious for Chapter 5, etc., but hey, I'm doin' the best I can. ;)

Here's some "fast facts" about the new novel: It's longer than Passage to Zarahemla. It's better than the first book in the series. And there are some cool tie-ins with the "Tennis Shoes Adventure Series" that readers won't discover until the book is finally released. This story deals primarily with the time period in the Book of Mormon addressed in Passage to Zarahemla. Watch the movie again if you've forgotten! :)

Enjoy!

ESCAPE FROM ZARAHEMLA
Chapter 1

The Lamanite reexamined the wounds along his ribcage, a trio of diagonal slashes starting at his hip and traversing high up the abdomen on the right side. One of them was frighteningly deep. Over several hours he'd lost a lot of blood. And yet, when the injury was first inflicted, he'd felt very little pain. This had seemed odd to him. It was the sort of wound that would have incapacitated most warriors. At the instant when he was struck, his body had been pulsing, surging with vigor—a desperation to survive. Now, four hours later, the pain was finally starting to overwhelm him. It had been steadily increasing, like water boiling slowly on a hearthstone. Soon, he realized, it would become unbearable. Anguish swept through his mind as he staggered beneath the shadows of the forest canopy. He perceived his life force seeping out, drip by drip, emptying from his muscles, abandoning his senses, withdrawing from his body and mind. Tiny blackouts were growing more frequent, momentary lapses in awareness and concentration, forcing him to grab onto the mossy trunk of the nearest tree to steady himself, catch his breath, and reinforce his resolve.

He had to reach the sacred place, the glowing place, the place where the air became like vapors of steam. Not steam from heat, but vapors created by . . . something else. Something that he couldn't explain. It was a place where colors turned slowly in a circle, like the oily surface of a whirlpool in a bottomless cenoté, shimmering with rainbows, except that this surface was not horizontal. It was more like a wall, and it smelled of lightning after it strikes the earth, sucking away whatever element enters the lungs and sustains life. It was a place where darkness was sometimes daylight and sunset was often sunrise. It was the place where his father, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather had gone in generations past to contemplate the future, discern the mysteries, and witness secret visions.

It was the Place of the Whistlers.

He was almost there. These were the very woods where his friend had first appeared—the Hunter with the orange-colored vest. Or was it a shield? Thirteen years. He realized it had been more than a decade since he'd first laid eyes on his friend. It seemed astonishing that so much time had elapsed. The Hunter, whose name had two parts—Chris McConnell—had first entered the ancient world in the midst of a violent skirmish with robbers of Gadianton. He'd been suffering from an arrow wound in the shoulder. It had been fired from a Gadianton's bow. His puffy orange "armor" (as it was described by the Lamanites), had on that occasion utterly failed him. The Lamanite and his comrades had auspiciously rescued him from certain death.

Chris McConnell—or Miʹcon—as he was known among his Lamanite tribesmen—may have been the most unique soul that the Lamanite had ever met. The pale-skinned, bearded hunter with unusual garb claimed to have emerged from the glowing place, the wall of miracles. In the beginning Miʹcon's only desire was to go back, return to his home. But the "passage" had faded; the miracle had disappeared. Since that time Miʹcon the Hunter had become an integral part of their lives, and moreover, an integral part of the life of the Lamanite's sister.

But two years ago everything had changed. One morning, near the time of the first harvest, the Lamanite's village was attacked. Most of the villagers were slain by a band of Gadianton robbers more bold and numerous than anyone had ever seen. Their crops and homes were burned. Some of the men were enslaved, including him and Miʹcon. The younger women were also taken hostage. But not Paísha. Paísha had escaped. At least . . . for a time.

That's why the Lamanite had come. His name was Ishlom. Ishlom desperately needed to find the blurry whirlpool that glowed beneath the archway of the dead, but living trunk of a mighty Ceiba tree. He needed to find Miʹcon. He needed to tell him all that had transpired—all the he had seen. Ishlom had risked everything—the torment of his sister, the safety of his young nephew—his life as well as theirs—to escape and find him. With each passing moment it appeared that all his efforts might prove futile. The vigor was fading fast from his limbs. His thoughts were becoming scattered and hazy. He had risked everything . . . and perhaps he had lost.

He wasn't even certain if Miʹcon was still alive. Miʹcon the Hunter—the strange, ashen-faced man who had joined his kinship—hadn't been seen for over six months. He'd escaped the clutches of his captors and presumably returned to the land of Zarahemla. A few of the most ruthless members of Gadianton's band had gone to pursue him, including Kush, the dreaded assassin. But after a great and terrible battle in the wilderness of Zarahemla, only one member of the particular unit of renegades that enslaved them had returned, and he was not one of the warriors sent to pursue Miʹcon. This Gadianton had claimed that Miʹcon was dead. He'd also claimed that Giddianhi—the king and commander of the Gadianton army¬—were dead. He warned that the Nephite army was marching toward their hiding place in the mountains, determined to root out and exterminate their second in command, Zemnarihah, as well as their sons, kinship, and any remnants of the robber bands who did not surrender.

Ishlom had believed all of the stories told by this single surviving robber—except one. He did not believe that Miʹcon the Hunter was dead. He felt certain that his friend still lived. And if Miʹcon was still alive, he would certainly have returned here, to this sacred, mysterious place in the forest.

Ishlom had carefully planned his escape from the renegade's encampment. He'd managed to recruit several young Gadianton acolytes who wished to surrender to the Nephites rather than continue a dreary existence of hunger and squalor in the wilderness. Five days ago, shortly after sunset, they'd executed their plan and fled into the forest. As expected, the Demon Balám were unleashed. The Demon Balám had tirelessly pursued them for five days. In the end, his companions did not escape their ruthless clutches. He, himself, had survived only by leaping into the river gorge. But had he really escaped? His wounds continued to rack his body. It seemed that the Demon Balám would succeed in their murderous mission after all.

Ishlom felt sure that he had nearly reached the place of miracles, the archway of the dead, but living tree. Pain blurred his vision. Still, he was sure that he would recognize it. His father and grandfather had brought him here more than once. Ishlom would recognize the landmarks, the stones, as well as the trickling waters of the tiny creek. Of course, during all the other visits of his lifetime, the miracle had not been present. At least not in the way that Miʹcon had described. There was no outward evidence to prove the existence of a magical "passageway." But what other explanation was there for the Hunter's arrival? A man with so many strange customs? So many unusual gifts?

Besides, Ishlom had felt the spirit of the place. He'd felt the cool and warm sensations against his skin as he stood beneath the archway of the Ceiba's massive trunk. He could also hear the faint song on the wind. No, it wasn't "whistling" or "whispering," as Miʹcon and his fathers had described. But it was audible nonetheless. Not by the ears. But by the soul. By the heart.

Ishlom pushed forward. He felt sure the archway would fall into view at any moment. He wasn't certain what he expected to see, how it might be different from the other times that he had stood at that place. He knew only that Miʹcon had come here. The same inner "voice" that convinced him that Miʹcon had traveled here after his escape and found a passageway home, also whispered that a similar miracle might be awaiting him. Perhaps the same shimmer of rainbows. The same vapors of lightning.

A thunderclap resounded above the trees. The rain, much like every other day during this season of the year, was suddenly unleashed from the sky. Within minutes it was a downpour. If his eyesight wasn't foggy enough from blood loss, the sheets of rain made landmarks nearly impossible to distinguish. He felt a shudder of terror. He could not afford to crouch against a tree trunk and wait for the rain to subside. If he paused at all, it might be the last thing he ever did. He might not have the strength to go on. He had to fight the rain, find the archway, if it was the last thing his body ever did.

His clothing drenched, he brushed the hair from his eyes and staggered on. Blood from his wounds washed onto the forest floor in pink rivulets. And then, there it was—the mysterious archway. The majestic fallen Ceiba loomed just ahead, its horizontal trunk festooned with another season of lush, verdant leaves despite its roots being torn from the earth and pointing skyward. The archway stood only a little higher than the height of a man, but if everything Miʹcon and his fathers had told him was true, the miracles that took place beneath its curved shadow were as lofty as the stars of heaven.

His ears suddenly filled with a terrible ringing. He shook his head briskly. Not right. This was not the sound that Miʹcon had described. It was neither a whistle nor a whisper. More like a choir of shrill and angry voices, mingled with the frenetic percussion of the rain. As Ishlom drew closer to the archway, he paused and squinted. In his present bleariness of mind, he didn't trust what his eyes beheld. It seemed that, indeed, something was happening beneath the arch, something perplexing and abnormal, but Ishlom couldn't speculate what it was. Moreover, he wasn't sure what it meant. For an instant the swirling colors seemed to coalesce into a face-like visage—the elderly, grizzled, and snarling face of a Lightning Deity—one of the unholy Bacab, the insatiable gods that his ancestors had placated with blood sacrifices in the decades before their conversion to Christ. The image frightened him. The cacophony of shrill voices increased in volume, as if in warning. Nervously, he took several steps closer, trying again to focus his sights, concentrate his mind.

The window continued to shimmer with energy, but the image had changed. It was no longer a dreadful face. The whirlpool of colors revealed a landscape, one that was very different from the surrounding jungle. The foliage beyond the window was . . . desert-like. Arid. Prickly. But not necessarily drier. Rain still pattered on Ishlom's face and streamed off his body. But it was also raining on the other side. Not just raining. The place beyond the window was experiencing a roiling torrent. The rich greens and mahogany browns of the surrounding jungle were seemingly "flowing" into a place of muted yellows and pallid grays, but also a place where waters were surging, as if some muddy river had changed course. A current rushed inside (through?) the window of the archway, as if the window itself was the water's source, or perhaps something behind the window. The current roared through scrubby-looking trees, uprooting and washing away thorny brambles. Was this torrent the source of the shrill, gnashing voices? The water was clogged with debris—branches, weeds, bark and . . . Was that a lizard? Yes, he saw a lizard swimming against the current, swept helplessly into the distant, brushy terrain.

A flood? It seemed to Ishlom that he was witnessing a flash flood. It was a curious thing. In times past Miʹcon had speculated that the "miracle" was influenced by the forces of nature—the temblor of an earthquake or some other cataclysm. Could the delicate miracles of heaven and earth be set in motion by a flash flood?

Ishlom joggled his head. Such questions seemed pointless. They didn't matter. The window was "open." The miracle was taking place before him. It might close again at any second. He had to act quickly. But what would happen to him? If he decided to leap into the archway, would he be engulfed by waters? Would he exchange a slow death by loss of blood for a swifter demise by drowning? Again, a pointless question. He was a strong swimmer. Such skills had saved his life only hours ago, when he'd leaped into the gorge. The gashes on his ribs hadn't seemed as serious while immersed in water. But that was hours ago, before the pain and delirium. Still, the prospects of swimming against the floodwaters did not intimidate him. And if it killed him—if indeed he drowned—there was a kind of comfort in knowing that he would die in the midst of a divine miracle. He would drown in the waters of another world, the same world where Miʹcon the Hunter had originated.

For a fleeting instant the illusion of the snarling Bacab reappeared. Ishlom squeezed his eyes to shut out the vision. He clenched his teeth and tightened his fists. The chorus of discordant voices amplified to a screaming pitch. Eyes still shut, he thrust himself forward, diving into the archway.

There was a flash of heat, a sudden shock to his skin, but the sensation ended quickly. When his eyes reopened, a wave rushed over his head. His mouth and throat were choked by water as his body was carried as helplessly as the lizard. He reached toward the sky, but the torrent dragged him forward, as if the window of energy really was a kind of whirlpool sucking its victims into the airless precincts of Xibalba, the underworld of the Great Maw. He seized the branches of a desiccated bush and coughed water from his throat. Just as fresh air reached his lungs, the current again pulled him under. He was carried downriver. But was it a river? A brief glimpse of the terrain again convinced him it was a flood. He was swept down a ravine filled with twisted, thirsty trees. The current was choked with detritus: leaves and branches and even the carcass of some dead animal. A dog? A coyote? Kicking his legs Ishlom realized the current was not deep, just strong. It carried him another twenty yards before his body struck a stone. Wincing, he found his limbs wedged between a boulder and the fallen trunk of a large tree. Water splashed around him, but his nose and mouth were clear, and he breathed freely.

After hoisting himself further out of the current, he lay on his back and searched the sky for any kind of sun. He found only a jaundiced globe in a viscous gray sky. Daylight had been obscured by storm clouds. The pale, yellow globe of the sun was poised at the lip of a steep ridge overlooking a forested valley. The sun's orb was setting. Darkness would soon overtake this new and peculiar world. This realization brought on a fresh stab of pain from his ribs. With tear-filled eyes, Ishlom understood that his journey was near an end. Even assuming that the floodwaters eventually subsided, he still couldn't travel at night, even if his legs had been able to gather sufficient strength.

"Just let him find me," he whispered. "If Miʹcon finds my corpse, it may be enough."

Enough, he thought, to tell him that he must return. Enough to let him know what I have seen. That his loved ones—his flesh and blood—require his help.

Enough, he hoped, for Miʹcon the Hunter to conclude that he was their last and only hope.

Ishlom let his eyelids close. Sleep settled around him like the orange wings of a thousand celestial butterflies. The same butterflies, he imagined, that would carry his soul back to the eternal realms of his Maker, his Lord, and his Savior, Jesus Christ.

Chapter 2

Mom and Dad wouldn't have approved. But that only made this new adventure for the three young Whitman children all the more intriguing.

It was so cool! All of yesterday and throughout most of the night a flash flood had rushed through the "hollow"—that is, the narrow stretch of woods and wilderness that meandered along the valley floor west of their house. If the water level had been a mere two feet higher, it could have washed away their home's foundation! Or so Mom had said. As it was, Dad had confirmed that it washed away a sizable chunk of the road leading down to their property. Grandpa Lee speculated that it had been more than ten years since a flood like this had visited the hollow. And what a whopper! No one had seen so much water before. It had flowed like a river through the foliage on the opposite side of their driveway. All evening and morning the Whitman's phone had been ringing—concerned neighbors and friends verifying that everyone was okay.

Now that the sun was up, 11-year-old Colter, 8-year-old Tessa, and 5-year-old Sariah stood at the lip of the ravine, gazing downward. They could hardly believe their eyes. Virtually everything had been transformed. Every blade of grass, every patch of yerba mansa, every cluster of weeds, had been washed flat or buried in mud. Familiar logs and other deadfall had been twisted to face in a new direction or carried off into oblivion. It was like waking up to discover that someone had rearranged your entire back yard.

The water was gone now. All that remained was an ugly layer of reddish mud, streaked with gray.

"Let's check it out," said Colter, grinning like a pirate with visions of discovering hidden treasure.

Tessa nodded with equal enthusiasm.

Little Sariah, however, adamantly shook her head. "I'm staying here."

"Staying here?" mocked Colter. "What for?"

Sariah looked at her brother, then at her sister—studying them both very carefully. "Didn't you hear it?" she asked.

"Hear what?" said Tessa.

Sariah didn't answer right away. Whatever the 5-year-old had heard, she'd heard it as they were walking out the front door. No, she couldn't hear it now. But a few moments ago, when she did hear it, she'd have sworn that it was a whistling sound—a kind of musical echo that trilled and swooped as if from the throat of an exotic bird—a bird that surely didn't live anywhere near Leeds, Utah. In fact, she was sure that it was a whole flock of birds. It reminded her of sounds made by the enormous pipe organ they'd heard when they visited the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake City. But as they were walking up the driveway, the sound steadily faded until it was completely gone. Up to now Sariah had been certain that her siblings were hearing it too. The little girl realized, with some alarm, that Colter and Tessa had no idea what she was talking about.

"I heard,"—Sariah's voice trembled—"the Wh-whistlers."

Her siblings didn't laugh. It was not a humorous thing. In fact, it was a very serious subject for the Whitman family. The "Whistlers" had been something all of them had been hoping to hear—listening for with great diligence—for the last eight months.

"You really heard the Whistlers?" said Colter in surprise.

Sariah nodded timidly.

"I didn't hear anything." Tessa looked at Colter. "Did you?"

Colter shook his head. He turned to Sariah and put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you sure?"

"I-I think so." Then less confidently, "I don't know anymore."

All three children gazed back into the hollow.

"Maybe she's right," said Tessa, suddenly more apprehensive. "Maybe we should wait for Skyler or Natasha."

"Are you serious?!" balked Colter. "If the Whistlers are back, you know what that means, right? It means—"

Tessa interrupted. "I know what it means. I just think we should wait for Skyler and—"

"Skyler is camping with the Priests and on Saturday Natasha won't wake up 'til noon. You know that!" Colter turned away in exasperation and threw up his hands. "Sisters! If you two won't come, I'll go by myself."

"Aren't you scared?" asked Tessa, her tone deadly serious.

"Of what?" asked Colter.

Tessa dropped her shoulders and said petulantly, "You know what."

Colter shook his head. "No, I don't know what. And I'm not scared. You can both stay here. I'm goin' in." He loped down the hill of the ravine and past the first trees that marked the traditional boundary of the hollow.

"Wait," said Tessa sharply. After taking a breath, she scampered after him.

A moment later, Colter and Tessa turned back to look at Sariah. Their sister hadn't moved. The 5-year-old was standing her ground. Finally she plopped down, cross-legged, at the lip of the ravine.

Instead of calling out, Colter sent her an "okay" sign. He felt curiously uneasy about raising his voice, though he couldn't have explained why. Somehow, the area had become a kind of sanctuary. A holy place. And he didn't want to disturb . . . uh . . . whatever it was that made it holy. Colter thought again: A holy place? Maybe it was exactly the opposite. Maybe the hollow had become unholy. A realm where demons or Gadianton robbers lurked. Either way, no need to make unnecessary noise.

Tessa latched onto the hem of Colter's shirt as they ventured deeper into the woods, their shoes pressing perfectly-sculptured footprints in the virgin pathways of mud and debris.

"How far are we going?" asked Tessa.

"Not far," he whispered.

"Why are we whispering?" whispered Tessa.

"Shhh!" said Colter.

Colter knew precisely where he was going. Admittedly, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to find it—everything looked so different—but he was headed to the clearing. He was going to the place where Kerra and Brock and Grandpa Lee had witnessed all the "miracles." The place where Kiddoni the Nephite and all the other ancient warrior "ghosts" had appeared and disappeared.

A short distance later, Colter glanced to his left. He spotted the "No Trespassing" sign. It had been knocked over in the flood. Half the letters were smeared with mud. Still, it confirmed that they were going the right direction.

Tessa's heart thudded. "Colter," she squeaked, "m-maybe we should go back."

Colter stopped abruptly, gesturing for Tessa to be quiet. He listened hard. Both children remained perfectly still.

"What's wrong?" Tessa finally asked.

Just as she spoke, she heard the same sound that had made Colter stop. It was a whisper—a dozen whispers. The sounds seemed to "swoop" over them from all directions, indecipherable. The language sounded otherworldly, something alien. The voices seemed to originate in the woods directly behind them and move swiftly in a circle, like a legion of ghosts.

Tessa was hyperventilating. Each breath produced a moan in her throat. "I wanna go back," she said. "Let's go back!"

Colter's heart pounded too. Then, as suddenly as the whispering began, it vanished. Both children slowly turned in a circle, trying to home in on the source of whatever they'd just heard. All efforts to pinpoint further whispers failed.

Colter faced his sister. "I'm not going back. You can do whatever you want."

Tessa trembled like Jell-O. She swallowed hard, worried that her tears might start to flow. Colter studied the intensity of her expression and felt guilty. He was about to give in and escort her home. Heck, he could easily take her back to the lip of the ravine, leave her with Sariah, and return alone. But at the last second, Tessa relented.

"Okay," she said weakly. "Just stay with me. Don't walk too fast."

Colter nodded, then clenched his teeth, steeling his resolve. There was no going back. If there was anything to see, he would see it first.

The morning sunlight danced wildly as it shone through branches and foliage. After 30 yards, both children ground to another halt. Air caught in their lungs as their eyes lit on a mindboggling sight. Just ahead, upon a heavy log with brush piled against one side, lay a human being. He was slathered from head to toe in mud, as if camouflaged to appear like the terrain. What stood out were the whites of his eyes. They were gaping wide—unblinking. Colter and Tessa edged closer. They thought they perceived a primitive mantle around his waist and coal-black hair, just like the ancient ones who'd appeared before. Colter and Tessa were certain that they were staring at a visitor from another century. Unfortunately, the visitor was dead.

"I'm gonna be sick," said Tessa, pressing her stomach.

Colter seemed unaffected. "That's a Nephite," he said confidently. "I know it."

"Do you think . . ." said Tessa hesitantly, ". . . it's Kiddoni?"

Colter glanced at her like it was a stupid question. "How should I know? He must've drowned. The flood washed him here."

"The flood washed a dead Nephite to our hollow from another century?"

"So it appears," said Colter. "We better get Dad or Grand—"

The piercing white eyes blinked. Slowly, the head of the "dead" man rolled to the side and looked straight at them. A trembling, mud-crusted hand reached out. A sound issued from his throat—the exact sound one might have expected from a ghost: thirsty and shrill.

Colter and Tessa screamed.

©Copyright, Chris Heimerdinger, May 2011

Gold Rush on Amazon!

2011-04-28T16:28:00.011-06:00

Hey Tennis Shoes Fans and Friends,

We just settled a long-time legal entanglement the end result of which gave me hundreds of unsold products from my old website, cheimerdinger.com. I've already put up over 100 products on Amazon, and a few on Ebay, but I made it a point, whenever possible, to offer the lowest price over any other seller. You need to look at some of these titles, many of them MY OWN books or books on CD, plus every other LDS artist you can imagine. Rock bottom prices for these things. You can call me directly at 801-495-0555 and use Visa or Mastercard. Or check out all titles at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/shops/storefront/index.html?ie=UTF8&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sellerID=A3DJOE9ISPI8WO

I'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN TO POST! So look at titles on Amazon, or call me directly at 801-495-0555. On most products I should be able to offer an additional discount or answer questions about items not yet posted.

I know folks are anxious for an update on Escape From Zarahemla. My publisher has informed me that I must finish the manuscript before the end of May or there won't be time for them to get it on the shelves this fall. Talk about incentives and pressure! But I'll attempt to handle it. It's a great story. Better than the original, in my opinion, and look for it to tie into the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series. In fact, in the next few days I'll post Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 (I've already posted Chapter 1, but I'll repost with Chapter 2). For those who don't already know, Escape From Zarahemla is the (book) sequel to the movie and novel Passage to Zarahemla. Stay tuned...!

The Miracle of Sound (i.e. Ultrasound)

2011-03-28T13:22:00.010-06:00

So the results are in. Most of my children accompanied my wife and I as we gathered around the Ultrasound machine to learn the gender of our new baby. We were very much a house divided. Half wanted it to be a girl, and half wanted it to be a boy. This discussion and debate became so lively that Emily and I became concerned. We didn't want anyone to be disappointed. We both feel strongly that this is our last child (knock on wood). Thankfully, it will likely be a child--whatever the gender--that receives an abundance of love and attention--from my 22-year-old-son who has just returned from a mission to the Ukraine down to my six-year-old daughter who probably envisions the experience much like getting a sophisticated doll for her birthday. Despite the initial attention, we're also aware that after a while the "newness" of the experience has a tendency to wear off. So, in time, we might find ourselves once again facing most of the responsibilities. In any case, it was finally time to find out if we were having a boy or a girl.

The image on an ultrasound, for those who haven't partaken of this unique experience, is keenly similar to our stereotype of an Area-51 alien. Perhaps in the future the image will improve, but with today's technology some unsuspecting mothers might need to be comforted that they're not bringing a Martian into the world. Now, I've been around the block a few times when it comes to interpreting an ultrasound. Having been here 5 times before, I had a little more experience than most parents as far as recognizing a baby's gender. So before the technician made the announcement, I noticed that the apple had a stem (metaphorically speaking). This meant that I was the first to announce, "I think we're looking at a boy."

So, just to confirm, for our final act in the production of Heimerdinger offspring, we will indeed be offering another boy to the world. In a certain way, this is a great blessing. I have a happy tradition of giving all of my children Book of Mormon middle names, and quite frankly we'd plum run out of "girl" Book of Mormon names. I guess we haven't used Abish or Isabel, but . . . well . . . you probably get the picture. I seemed to recall that there might be a Lamanite village somewhere in Ammon's exploits that had an attractive feminine ring to it, otherwise we were drawing a complete blank. Now that we know we're definitely having a boy, we're contemplating the name Hunter Helaman Heimerdinger (initials H.H.H.).

That first name is not a lock. My wife could well decide that she wants to name him something else before the cooking phase is complete. But for now, that's the best we've been able to come up with.

I also have some unhappy news, at least for game fans. The boardgame that I announced a month or two ago will NOT be released this coming Fall. The reasons are complex, but it mostly comes down to money. Sorry folks. My publisher stated that the project might be resurrected next year, but I have a feeling that unless I finance the venture myself, it may not get done. I'll contemplate that when the time is right.

In the meantime, Escape to Zarahemla is progressing nicely. I expect to finish the novel in the next month or two, just in time for a fall release. But I really have no control over a book's release. After I've turned in the manuscript, it's really up to them. But I'm extremely proud of what this story is looking like right now.

Sorry I haven't posted much this year. That's what happens when I'm anxiously engaged in a new novel. Oh, and with any luck I'll repost Chapter 1, along with Chapter 2, very soon.

Don't forget to check out our new online store at http://www.frostcave.com/.

Stay close to the Lord.

(c) Copywrite 2011, Chris Heimerdinger

Have E-Book, Will Travel

2011-02-11T13:32:00.006-07:00

Several big news items.

Tennis Shoes Vol. 11: Sorcerers and Seers is now available as a Kindle E-Book through Amazon.com. So for everyone who has HOUNDED me as to when this book might be available for download, I happily invite you to go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Shoes-Adventure-Vol-ebook/dp/B004MYH0SK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1297452856&sr=8-3

I'm sure the next question E-Book addicts will ask is "When will your other books be available on Amazon?" All in good time, my friends. All in good time. My publisher is certainly "incentivized" to get them up as soon as possible, but the texts of my books need to be formatted for the Kindle, which takes time, effort, bureaucracy, etc., etc.

NOW FOR THE OTHER BIG NEWS! This might be just as big as the first news, but I had to put something up first. I have a totally new store website connected to my blog called http://www.frostcave.com/. Please visit and check it out. You can also link to it from the link at the top of this page. I owe it all to the kindness of a wonderful fan named Courtney Wilson for establishing it. This site does away with the old HeimerRecords website, which had many bugs. If you were already registered on HeimerRecords, YOU MIGHT have to re-register on FrostCave.com. We're trying to find a way to preseve your info and make it automatic, but for now you must re-register. For new registrants, we will carefully see if you were registered on the OLD Heimerrecords.com website and delete your OLD registration. (So you don't get, for example, two newsletters.) To register on FrostCave.com go to: http://frostcave.com/store/index.php?main_page=login

NOTE: Because the store site (http://www.frostcave.com/) is a different platform than the blog site, it IS NECESSARY TO SEPARATELY REGISTER ON BOTH SITES.

Remember, folks who want to continue to order directly from me via the phone (801-495-0555) are certainly welcome to do so. It all goes to the same Visa or MC merchant account anyway. This new store site is sooo much cleaner and easier to access, understand, etc. And EVERYTHING IS DISCOUNTED!

In the future I hope to add many other features, including podcasts, either of my own rants or interviews with other LDS artists. In the meantime, I invite those who are interested to post "reviews" of my various book and audio products on Frostcave.com.

Now for the LAST news. My publisher asked me to design a new themed game for Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. The design was pretty much designed, so it was mostly a matter of execution. (I say that for those who worry that such a project might distract me too much from writing.) This new game will be called Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites: Race Against Time!! It should be available this fall, along with the new novel, Escape From Zarahemla, (if I can just get the doggone thing finished. :)

That's all for now! Thanks for your fanship!

BIG (well, "little") NEWS FOR THE HEIMERDINGERS

2011-01-06T12:33:00.003-07:00

Life can be a funny thing. Pains and trials can be a funny thing. But then you wake up one day and realize the purpose of it all. The depth of it all. And the inevitability of it all. You realize that if certain things hadn't happened, certain other incredible things would not have happened either.

Such was the case a few weeks ago when I came home after dropping off kids at school and found that my wife, Emily, had placed on my pillow a stuffed Winnie-the-Poo and an Eeyore. Beside those, on the night table, was a pregnancy test--with a plus sign.

So is it a boy or a girl? Well, as Mary Bailey replied to her husband, George, when he asked that same question in It's a Wonderful Life: "Uh-huh." I presume we'll know around April. And then there will be another little Heimerdinger in our home in late July or early August. And to think we already gave away all those baby clothes, carriers, swings, etc., etc....Gonna have to find all that stuff all over again. :)

That means I'll have son who is a returned missionary in my home at the same time that I'll have a newborn. Mindboggling.

I'd love to add other news to that. But anything else seems highly anti-climactic. I'll try to add more in a few days.

Chris Heimerdinger

3-Week Warning

2010-12-21T12:35:00.004-07:00

At all autograph signings I've told people that my products would not remain at Costco forever. Costco has provided the least expensive prices I've seen for the new book and audio book of Sorcerers and Seers, as well as the shrink-wrapped sets of books 1-5 and 6-10 of the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series.

Costco just announced a three-week sell down of all these products. Therefore, beginning in early-to-mid January, the products will no longer be sold at Costco.

Their prices have been incredible, especially in this economy. I can't even sell them that low on my own website. As far as I can figure, every product has been priced close to the actual wholesale costs. It's been a phenomenal way for new fans to get started on the series. Also, as far as I am aware, Seagull and Deseret Book (at least those located in the same community as a Costco) have willingly price-matched Costco's prices. But in three weeks, all of that ends. In fact, for the audio, which is only $25.99 at Costco (usually $40.00) the opportunity ends on FRIDAY. The unabridged 15-CD audio for Sorcerers and Seers is discontinuing earlier than the books.

Now, none of this is bad news. Costco has been great! They've always had a quick turnover of new releases. This blog is just to warn fans who still want the products, or those who still want to give them as gifts, or those who bought the first 1-5 book set and weren't sure (yet) if they wanted the second 6-10 book set--a warning to act fast. All prices will go up (which basically means they will return to normal) three weeks from Dec. 27th.

Just wanted to save my fans a little Christmas dough. :)

Last Signings of the Year

2010-12-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to quickly list the last public signing events of 2010.

Wed, Dec. 15 - S. Ogden Costco, 11-4 pm
Thurs, Dec. 16 - Orem Costco, 11-2 pm
Fri, Dec. 17 - Sandy Costco, 11-3 pm
Sat, Dec. 18 -Sandy Costco, Noon-2pm
Mon, Dec. 20 -West Bountiful Costco, 11-3 pm
Wed, Dec. 22 - Sandy Costco, 11-3 pm
Thurs, Dec. 23 - Orem Costco, 11-3pm
Fri, Dec. 24 - Lehi Costco, 10am-Noon

Thanks for a great year.
Chris Heimerdinger

The Season to Be Hoodwinked

2010-12-13T21:50:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been political too much on this blog. Sheesh, I'm a storyteller, right? A philospher. Not some talking head who publicly touts a political ideology. As well, many of my readers are younger and likely bored to death by such a discussion. This is unfortunate. Never in U.S. history, it seems to me, should we be teaching our children to be more attuned to politics and public events. But I have no control over that. All I have is this tiny blog.

Those who know me know that I am a staunch conservative. Perhaps I should start a new blog that discusses politics and leave this blog for fans of my creative works. But for now please allow me to break with my typical routine on Frost Cave and dabble a bit in politics. I'll judge the response later.

The news over the last few days regarding this new Tax Bill working its way through Congress has been at times humorous and at other times jawdropping. Humorous because I've never seen a political game played so transparently. Jawdropping because so many people appear so hoodwinked by it.

The "news" has been that President Obama has accepted an incredible compromise by agreeing to support this tax deal. We've been sold the notion that his actions have, at last, transcended his partisan political character. He has been represented as backpedaling on a campaign promise that he made to "roll back" the Bush era taxcuts for folks with incomes over 250K per year. Everyone has appeared awestruck that he would do this. Great hooplah has been made by the media regarding those in his party who are "angry" and feel "betrayed" by such backpedaling.

It's all a joke. It's such a con that I still don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Several weeks ago, in a historic mid-term election, the Republican Party trounced the Democratic Party and took back control of the House of Representatives and greatly increased their power in the Senate. Conservatives like me celebrated this victory. Then, right away, we began to bite our nails regarding what actions the "lame duck" Democrat-controlled Congress might take before the newly-elected Representatives and Senators took their seats in January. Rupublicans appeared (at first) to dig in their heels and demand that ALL tax cuts implemented by President George W. Bush would be maintained before any other legislation came to the floor. In other words, all that the Republicans wanted was a continuation of the "status quo." They weren't asking for anything new. No new restraints on government spending. No new tax cuts. No new anything. Just maintain the status quo.

Then, almost in the blink of an eye, new legislation is presented by the Democrats asking for huge increases in government spending. The figures I have heard range from 300 billion to 850 billion (sometimes I think the math is deliberately obscured and kept confusing). Remember, the Republicans have asked for nothing--"Just keep what we already have." The Democrats, however, are asking for a half trillion or so in new spending.

And this is being sold to the American people as a compromise??? I guess I don't understand the definition of that word anymore. And the media now lauds Obama as a brilliant and astute poltician because of his sudden willingness to work with Republicans??? Is America on Candid Camera?

Today I heard again the most dreaded words that I have ever heard Barack Obama speak. He said them last Christmas when he pushed through the new Health Care legislation. He said them the year before when the totality of stimulus debt tripled. Those words are: "Hurry and act quickly." Today he told the Senate and House of Representatives to "Hurry and act quickly" to pass this new Tax Bill and turn it into law. We're being told that if Congress does not "hurry and act quickly" that all America will suffer, the middle class will be reduced to poverty, and Santa Claus will not come down the chimney. To me those all-too-familiar, oft-repeated Obama words alone should cause Americans to throw on the brakes, take a deep breath, and think. Don't be fooled by all the babble suggesting that if we don't act now the world will come to an end. Heck, what's the harm in waiting for the new Congress to take their seats before we act at all? The media and the President are all telling us that if we DON'T "act quickly" ALL of President Bush's established tax cuts will irreversibly unravel. This is, of course, ridiculous. A new congress could easily make any new tax laws retroactive to the first of the year. But I haven't heard a single soul tell us the truth about this yet. Instead it's all "Hurry and act quickly."

I hope and pray that we don't allow this Christmas, like the previous two, to become Christmases wherein Americans are once again hoodwinked by our elected leaders into ballooning our national debt, further weakening our economy, making us more beholden to foreign debt-holders, and sapping the strength of America.

My voice is so small. What do I have?--a little over 300 subscribers? Yes, I can increase that reach by using Facebook, Twitter, and my other websites. Still, I feel terribly powerless. So few political conservatives have even recognized the deception.

Hoodwinked again. It's becoming an annual tradition.

A few are starting to recognize the deception. But very few. And by the time it's fully revealed, the legislation likely will already be passed and Obama and his administration will have a hard time suppressing the laughter as they sneak behind closed doors and toast another incredible victory. I guarantee you, if this legislation passes, in a couple of months every talking head on the airwaves will be discussing the utter foolishness of this supposed compromise--a "compromise" that ended up costing Americans another half-trillion dollars. But by then it will be too late.

All I can ask, I guess, is that if you have a voice, try to make it heard. Right now I feel like a very tiny Who down in Whoville, desperately trying to make myself heard with an insignificant "yalp." But maybe, with a little more help, that "yalp" can break through the clouds.

Escape From Zarahemla: Chapter One

2010-12-05T19:55:00.005-07:00

Hello Friends and Fans!

I wanted to give an early Christmas gift to my readers by posting the opening chapter of my newest novel, Escape From Zarahemla. For those who are not aware, this is a sequel to the book Passage to Zarahemla. I suppose you could also consider it a sequel to the movie, but more particularly it's a sequel to the book. Honestly, the movie follows the novel about 90%. That's the advantage when the novelist is also the film director. But little things are different. For example, in the book, Sakerra is a blonde. In the movie, she's a brunette. You are perfectly welcome to imagine Summer Naomi Smart in the role of Sakerra since I believe she gave a wonderful performance. But technically, she's a blonde in the sequel, just like in the original novel. Not that it matters since the opening chapter doesn't really discuss that issue anyway.

I'm actually a good four or five chapter beyond what I have posted here. The novel is coming along swimmingly (I love that word). If all goes as planned, I'll finish it this spring and submit it to the publisher ASAP. Then I'll dive into Thorns of Glory, the 12th novel in the Tennis Shoes series. However, as I have reported to numerous fans (particular at autograph signings) when you read the entire novel of Escape to Zarahemla you will fully understand why I had to write this book before I wrote Book 12. The two novels will carefully tie together the two "worlds" and certain Zarahemla characters will become Tennis Shoes characters in Thorns of Glory. Confusing? Nah! For readers I actually think they'll find it to be great fun.

I know many people have not yet read Sorcerers and Seers. Chances are, you won't even dive in until you open your gifts on Christmas morning. But I will tell you that there is a moment--somewhere toward the end of Sorcerers and Seers--that offers a strong presentiment of the eventual interweaving of these two stories. But I'll leave it to readers to figure where that "hint" appears.

In the meantime, I hope my fans have a great and glorious Christmas. Especially, I hope that everyone finds an opportunity to perform a special act of service for some other person or family to make their Christmas, or their lives (or both) a little more special. Opportunities are countless. A little prayer and a little inquiry (from your bishop or other leaders and family members, as well as the Lord) will make the opportunity obvious. Remember, we can never find ourselves in Heavenly Father's debt, and I believe our nation and its citizens could use all the blessings that the Lord can bestow.

Well, enough preaching. Here's the link. I hope you enjoy Chapter One of Escape to Zarahemla. And don't worry about typos, etc. Likely the chapter will experience one or two major overhauls and rewrites anyway before the final version is published. Enjoy! Link

Public Appearance Schedule for December

2010-12-01T14:52:00.002-07:00

Hello Fans and Friends! I wanted to post my promotion/autograph schedule for December. It just got finalized. Yes, I'm very busy. But if you notice, not so much for the next few days. That's because I just got out of the surgery for some nasty basel cell nonsense on my nose and another cosmetic fix UNDER my nose that the doctor also mutilated (but for free! Can you believe it??! (No, the initial surgery wasn't free, just the cosmetic thing.))

Anyway, here's where I'll be, scars, bandages and all. (Okay, all that stuff will be removed in a week or so. But means I'll still look rather pathetic in Lehi on the 6th.) So come support the walking zombie. :)

Dec. 6 - Lehi Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 7 - Orem Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 9 - West Bountiful Costco, 11-3pm
Dec. 10 - West Valley Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 14 - Lehi Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 15 - S. Ogden Costco, 11-4 pm
Dec. 16 - Orem Costco, 11-2 pm
Dec. 17 - Sandy Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 18 -Sandy Costco, Noon-2pm
Dec. 20 -West Bountiful Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 22 - Sandy Costco, 11-3 pm
Dec. 23 - Orem Costco, 11-3pm
Dec. 24 - Lehi Costco, 10am-Noon

These signings have been a phenomenal way to meet fans and move books. Thanks to all who have kept me company at such events! Have an extraordinary Christmas season!

Chris Heimerdinger

My Theatrical Debut: In the 6th Grade

2010-11-08T15:11:00.003-07:00

Here's a little history. This is a picture of me when I was in the 6th Grade, performing as Snoopy in "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown." My "theatrical debut", so to speak. It was sent to me by a wonderful lady named Dee Vesterby from Arizona. She is probably credited as the first person who ever really believed in my talents. She hand-typed (funny that in the "computer age" you have to say it that way) my first novel that I wrote in a notebook in the 5th Grade. I recently sent her the music CD of "Whispered Visions" and this is what she sent in reply. :)

Coincidentally, Sister Vesterby also played a role in my conversion to the LDS Church when I was Sophomore in High School. I attended a Youth Conference in Glenwood Springs, CO with her son, Eric, who was my best friend at the time. Brenton Yorgason was the Youth Speaker. It was the very first time that I ever felt the Holy Ghost. The feeling touched me so deeply that three years later, when I prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true, I recognized the feeling immediately. So my heartfelt thanks to a great lady! Mucho Gracias Sister Vesterby!

@ Copyright 2010, Chris Heimerdinger

Updated November Schedule--including Boise

2010-11-01T15:39:00.003-06:00

So a few dates for autograph signings got changed around on me. I'm now coming to Boise, ID on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27). I'll be St. George this upcoming Saturday (Nov. 6). And in Twin Falls, ID on Nov. 20th. December is still an unknown, but I'll likely add those dates as soon as my publisher lets me know.

I've never enjoyed meeting fans as much as I have this go-around with the publication of Sorcerers and Seers. There's a truism about the publishing business: Every time you publish something new, people mysteriously remember that you wrote other things, and the other things suddenly sell better. In short, I've sold a ton of Books 1-5 and Books 6-10 as SETS. It's very interesting--and thrilling--to watch twenty years of a person's life work walk out the door with a single customer.

So here's the November schedule:

Fri, Nov. 5 – Murray Costco, 11 am-4 pm
Sat, Nov. 6 – St George, Costco, 11 am-4 pm
Tues, Nov. 9 Lehi Costco, 11 am-2 pm
Fri, Nov. 12 - Orem Costco, 11 am-2pm
Sat, Nov. 13 – Lehi Costco 11 am-4 pm
Thurs, Nov. 18 - Lehi Costco, 11am-2 pm
Fri, Nov, 19 - West Bountiful Costco, 11 am-2 pm
Sat, Nov. 20– Twin Falls, ID Costco, 10 am-Noon
Sat, Nov. 20– Crowley’s Quad in Twin Falls, ID, 1-4 pm
Tues, Nov. 23– Orem Costco, 11am - 2 pm
Wed, Nov. 24– West Bountiful Costco, 11 am- 2 pm
BLACK Fri, Nov. 26– Orem Costco, 10 am - 2 pm
BLACK Fri, Nov. 26 – Redwood Seagull (about 15th South), 3-4:30 pm
Sat, Nov. 27–Boise, ID Costco 11 am-4 pm
Tues, Nov. 30 - West Bountiful, 11 am-2 pm

Yes, I'm busily working on Escape From Zarahemla (in between signing events) and hope to finish it early in 2011. With any luck, my publisher will release it before the end of the summer. Then it's full-steam-ahead to finish Thorns of Glory, the 12th edition of the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series. As I've explained (to all fans at signings who will listen) Escape From Zarahemla will "TIE INTO" the Tennis Shoes series. Those who read Escape From Zarahemla will understand why this book had to be written before Thorns of Glory. Yeah, I know. The statement itself provokes multiple questions, most of which I will likely avoid answering, 'cause I'd give away too much of the story! :)

Just know that you won't have to wait five years again. I've officially published on Facebook (which is about as official as it gets) that I'll have Thorns of Glory finished in 12-24 months. I admit, it will be a very complex and heavily-researched book, but (I think) I did most of the research with Sorcerers and Seers (I won't know for sure until I'm well underway), so now I just have to float on imagination. (well....mostly.)

Either way, I promise to make these next books my ultimate roller-coaster rides. :)

American Exceptionalism and the Book of Mormon

2010-10-26T12:52:00.011-06:00

(The following is revised from a presentation that Chris Heimerdinger offered at the Book of Mormon Archaeological Foundation's convention at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City on Oct. 23, 2010.)

Most reading this article already know who I am. Others may not. I'll sum it up in three words: Tennis Shoes guy. I'm the fiction novelist who was lucky enough to take a common device in modern storytelling—time travel—and be the first novelist to apply it to the Book of Mormon. "Lucky" is very much how I would describe it. I feel extremely fortunate that this phenomenon has paid my bills for the past twenty years. I'm also convinced that if I hadn't done it, someone else would have.

It all began with something that a few might consider rather corny—a dream that I had on my mission while serving in Gainesville, Florida. Obviously I didn't dream the whole plot of the book. Just the basic concept, which included modern characters rubbing shoulders with the heroes of the Book of Mormon and a cave that I had explored as a kid near Cody, Wyoming. So after arriving home from my mission I spent two or three years fleshing it out, went into a period of intense procrastination, not certain if I wanted to be a writer or exactly what specific career in the arts I wanted to pursue. Then I listened to a General Conference address given by the Ezra Taft Benson in Oct. of 1988 wherein he urged Latter-day Saints to "flood the earth" with the Book of Mormon and further stated, "I have a vision of artists putting into film, drama, literature, music, and paintings great themes and great characters from the Book of Mormon. (Ezra Taft Benson, General Conference Address, Oct. 1988.)"

I don't want to get carried away with that sentiment. I'm not sure if I can use that quote to justify my creative exploits in life or not. But I do know that hearing that talk urged me to get off my hind end and finish my manuscript—a book which was later titled Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. As I've said, I feel strongly that if I hadn't done it, someone else would have, and in fact, many others artists are celebrating the Book of Mormon with drama, literature and music. So I feel grateful to have experienced the degree of success that I have experienced and fully expect others to follow suit.

As many of you know, that little time-travel epic has spawned a goodly number of sequels and movies and the like, many of which have served as a forum for me to trumpet and publicize theories, geographies, and cultural ideas about the Book of Mormon that were first conceived by some of the very people who founded and regularly frequent BMAF conventions—namely, LDS scholars who have written and published on Book of Mormon subjects for the past generation. Storytelling can be a marvelous medium to make dry, complex, often eye-straining ideas accessible to the average, busy, everyday and (primarily) English-speaking people of the LDS faith, including, in many cases, children and teenagers. It was only four books ago that my publisher allowed me to put scholarly footnotes at the end of various chapters so that I could help readers to understand some of the logic and premises behind the fictional speculations. Most of those ideas, I resoundingly admit, I borrowed from LDS scholars of the past generation. So I owe such individuals a great debt of gratitude for their thick, stodgy volumes, and esoteric, apologetic articles, and (in the end) brilliant, common sense deductions regarding the peoples and cultures of the Book of Mormon.

As a result of this pursuit, over time I believe I've become pretty good at distinguishing well-researched, carefully-footnoted and disciplined scholars and scholarship from less-disciplined, sloppy scholarship which work is often contained in equally-thick volumes written by well-meaning amateurs, arm chair enthusiasts, and even a few out-and-out crackpots. No, I'm not perfect at making such distinctions by any stretch. But I'm much better at it now than I was at the beginning of my career. It's most unfortunate to me that some of these "less-disciplined" types can be found promoting the same basic Book of Mormon model that most of those associated with FAIR, the Maxwell Institute, and BMAF currently favor. Nothing hurts a perfectly good idea more than bad scholarship!

However, there are also many less-disciplined types who promote geographies and ideologies about the Book of Mormon that many of us do not intellectually support. As is probably the case with many who are reading this article, particularly those who are consumers of theories rather than developers, I have at times found myself disappointed and even embarrassed to learn that certain ideas that appeared at first to be exciting correlations with the Book of Mormon turned out to be impetuously conceived, leaving me feeling like the Wile E. Coyote of Loony Toones fame, reciting his infamous phrase, "Oh, well. Back to the ole' drawing board."

But this is okay. Mistakes are inevitable in a study with vistas this rich and comprehensive, and with a volume as deep and complex as the Book of Mormon. There remains a vast spectrum of scholarly knowledge and cultural correlations which have deeply, immeasurably enriched my appreciation of the sacred text. The point that I'm making is simply this—and it's the same point and warning that we should heed with all things, and that is: caveat emptor or "Let the buyer beware." A friendlier way of putting this might simply be that even a believing Latter-day Saint with a strong testimony and spiritual confirmation of the Book of Mormon should remain comfortable with the concept of keeping an open mind. Until the Prophet speaks on matters of geography and DNA and other sciences, we're all just fumbling around with a flashlight. Personally, I think that's how it should be at this particular time. But on the positive side, I'm extraordinarily grateful for that flashlight, because many of the things that have been illuminated by Book of Mormon scholars have, for me, put flesh and bones on the people and places of the Book of Mormon that I would have never envisioned otherwise. After careful contemplation I am confident that many—not all, but many—of the things discovered with this flashlight will remain pretty much intact even when the Prophet, or the Savior Himself, finally illuminates the entire subject with the brightest rays of the sun. Humility. This is the key. Unfortunately, we're human. And humility can be a precious commodity, especially among the so-called "learned." Being well-read does not make one immune. Having a PhD does not make one immune. And especially, having a successful series of fiction novels does not make one immune.

I believe I was first invited to make a presentation for the Book of Mormon Archaeological Foundation because members of BMAF became aware of articles that I had posted on my blog, http://www.frostcave.blogspot.com/, wherein I attempted to thoughtfully speculate on a number of gospel subjects with scholarly themes, or vice versa, scholarly subjects with gospel themes. I thought at first that I might be invited to make a presentation on one or two of those articles, but I quickly realized that a principle concern of BMAF right now is to comment upon the well-publicized, well-funded movement which has captured the attention of some Latter-day Saints, and which has come to be known as the Heartland/Great Lakes/or Promised Land model of Book of Mormon geography. I must admit, when I was first locked into these parameters I felt rather bummed. The whole subject and defense seemed very dull. Addressing it appeared as if it would be a waste of my time. I felt (and feel) sure that, eventually, inevitably, such a movement would readily, by itself, fall by the wayside without any help from anyone, just like a myriad of other LDS cultural mythologies like Y2K, or Embraced by the Light, or Art Kocherhan's Isle of Promise, or the angel hitchhiker who goes around telling everyone to get their food storage together and buy a generator.

I've come to realize that this particular phenomenon is slightly different than others. The adherents to the "Heartland" model are, admittedly, of a somewhat different character, and the fuel that feeds the movement itself is very different from that which has fed similar movements in the past. As I pondered the issue, I decided that I was most interested in discussing what I perceived to be the movement's primary attraction—the most salient selling-points, and the core human proclivity that gives these philosophies their strongest intellectual and emotional punch—i.e., the thing that successfully attracts and converts many of the sincere, faithful, and God-fearing saints who have become the philosophy's most vocal advocates. In the end, I think this movement is a fascinating study in Gospel psychology, particularly as the LDS Church evolves from being a principally American phenomenon to that of a world-wide phenomenon. As I present some of these ideas I'm particularly worried that I might come off as patronizing and belittling. Perhaps this is somewhat unavoidable. But more than anything I hope to fend off that predilection. I recognize that feelings surrounding this issue are very tender, very passionate, and surprisingly dogmatic. This was again emphasized to me a few weeks ago while I was engaged in an autograph signing at the Costco Store in Orem, Utah promoting the 11th Volume in my Tennis Shoes Adventure Series, Sorcerers and Seers.

At events like this the sale and signing of books is often feast or famine. I'm either surrounded by dozens of gushing fans who hand me book after book or else I'm all alone twiddling my thumbs and watching an endless stream of shopping carts wander by with everything from water-softener salt to blueberry muffins. (Perhaps this only happens at Costco signings . . .) It's during some of these thumb-twiddling phases that I'm frequently approached by some of the most unique characters that I ever meet. And this is exactly what happened during one of those lulls in Orem. A woman approached me and began the conversation by telling me how much she loved my books. Then she asked me if I'd taken the opportunity to "update" some of my geographical perspectives about the Book of Mormon in lieu of some of the recent studies that have established that Nephites and Lamanites lived exclusively in the Eastern United States.

This kind of a situation always puts me in an awkward position. If it's been a long day and I'm tired and just roll my eyes, well, I'll likely lose a book sale—and possibly a customer for life! On this particular day I was a little more on my toes than usual, but still unprepared for the passion that I was about to confront. I replied to the woman that I was indeed familiar with those perspectives and was even in the process of studying its precepts in preparation for my presentation to the Book of Mormon Archaeological Foundation, which was to take place in a couple of weeks. I told her, dispassionately, that we needed to be careful of studies done by enthusiasts and layman as opposed to disciplined scholars, and that often, even with disciplined scholars, we needed to be careful. I confessed to her that because of my career I'd had a wide range of opportunities to study and compare the writings of numerous Book of Mormon researchers, although I, myself, was not a scientist.

At that instant I heard a voice across the aisle boom, "Well, I am!" It was the woman's husband, and what he was proclaiming was that he, in fact, was a scientist. He said that he taught at a small Utah college and that everything his wife was professing to me about Book of Mormon geography inside the borders of the United States was absolutely true. The man proclaimed himself a physicist and fully supported the "Heartland" geographical model. At that point I informed them both that my initial investigation of the Great Lakes or Heartland model was not particularly compelling, that much of the research was shoddy and often based on information or evidence compiled more than a century ago, and in general seemed interlaced with bias and prejudice supporting a very narrow preconceived agenda, which is usually the anathema of sound scientific research. (I don't think I said it quite so eloquently, but basically that's how I replied.) At that point the woman patted my hand or my shoulder—I don't quite recall which—and said, "Well, obviously you suffer from a common ailment: You have already made up your mind."

Wowww! I thought. Don't ever say something like that to a male. Even the most humble will know that they are being patronized and get ready to don boxing gloves and dance around like John L. Sullivan. Under the circumstances I thought I handled the situation rather well. I explained that, no, my mind wasn't closed on the subject at all and that I had recently written an article questioning a long-held tenet in the Mesoamerican model regarding the Hill Cumorah and the Hill Vigia in southern Veracruz, Mexico. Such a tenet, if shown to be false, could render one of my novels entirely out-of-date, and potentially affect my financial bottom line.

The physics professor asked me for my contact information and handed me his card, which advertised his website. The couple then launched a last salvo arguing their position, prompting me to make my final salvo which was, as I said before, "The key to all of this is humility. Until the Lord speaks on this subject—either personally or through His prophet—we're fully dependent upon our own intelligence and research, which could one day be rendered moot by the word of the Lord." The couple was in the process of walking away as I was saying this, but at least showed the courtesy not to turn away their heads until I had finished speaking.

Later, after visiting this scientist's website, I realized that I had not confronted a run-of-the-mill advocate of the Heartland model, but one of its formal champions—a man who has spoken at some of their events and even invited Rod Meldrum to personally present a "fireside" in his home. Now let me add, only a week prior to the event I've been describing, at another Costco in Murray, UT (I don't know why these confrontations seem to happen lately at Costco) another advocate of the Heartland/Promised Land model also had the gumption to approach me and argue the cause for the Book of Mormon taking place inside U.S. borders. This time I was surrounded by customers getting their books signed so despite the fact that she re-approached me several times, our conversation took place in snippets. As in the other case, it was clear that this particular model for Book of Mormon geography had made solid converts. I'm unsure why she kept coming back . . . maybe it's part of their philosophy . . . but these people sincerely felt the need to spread their geographical message with all the zeal of a missionary. Admittedly, I might be kind of a target for these individuals since I write Book of Mormon fiction. Still, if the tables were turned, and I was in a similar setting—say a book signing with someone who I knew espoused the Heartland geographical model—there's no way that I would feel inclined to approach them and present an opposing perspective. And it wouldn't be because I was afraid. Would it be because I'm more polite? No. Honestly, I think it's just that I don't take this subject nearly as seriously as they do. Perhaps you'll come to learn in this presentation that I don't take it nearly as seriously as some reading this article. And yet "seriously" is not the right word. Certainly, in the right setting, I take the subject very seriously, but never so much that I'd ever feel inclined to spread my opinions like a missionary seeking proselytes. So I had to ask myself, what is it about this phenomenon that attracts converts and inspires such zeal?

Now, please understand, these two Costco experiences are not the extent of my confrontations or observations of the Heartland "movement." And by the way, I've noted that Rod Meldrum and his devotees become very proud when their ideas are referred to as a movement. They see themselves very much as a phenomenon that started with one or two untrained, unscholarly observers who, without outside funding (though little is ever discussed regarding inside funding), have in three or four short years turned the heads of the entire LDS community, or in their words, "Even the most avid supporters of Mesoamerican models now admit that the Heartland Model of Book of Mormon geography has become a movement sufficient to warrant their utmost attention and concern" (Rod Meldrum, FIRM Newsletter, June-July 2010).

You have to understand, they love the fact that LDS scholars, who have been proponents of Mesoamerican models, are willing to expend so much time fighting their position. They adore the idea that a major theme of this year's BMAF conference has been to alert the LDS public to the fallacies of their doctrines and philosophies. To the "Heartlanders" this is free advertising! This is the best kind of promotion that a grass roots "movement" like theirs could ever hope for! Maybe they never dreamed that long-standing LDS scholarly forums like FAIR and FARMS or the Maxwell Institute would ever take them seriously. But again, is "seriously" the right word? Again, I don't think it quite fits. What I think the Heartland advocates and the LDS community in general have observed from LDS scholars is more akin to confusion and frustration. They are literally scratching their heads trying to figure out why this Heartland geographic model, which is, no matter what Meldrum and his people might admit, very well funded and very commercially ambitious, has had any level of success at attracting followers whatsoever!

In addressing this matter one cannot ignore the fundamental reasons why the Heartland model is so attractive and will continue to cultivate advocates of the kind who approached me at Costco. These reasons go beyond scholarship. They are so powerful that they utterly stifle scholarship. At this year's BMAF Conference we listened to several presentations citing scholarly arguments against the "Heartland" platform. However, I promise you, with most adherents to the Heartland model, such arguments have no effect upon them whatsoever. The core philosophy is such that most Heartlanders would respond, "Who cares if the scholarship is presently flawed! The scholarship will improve. The core philosophy is the thing."

The motivations behind this movement may be diverse and difficult to sum up in a few words, but if pushed, the two that I would choose are the ones that appear in the title of this article: American Exceptionalism.

So what is American Exceptionalism? Simply put, American Exceptionalism is the view that the United States, as a nation, occupies a special place among the nations of the world because of its national ethos, religious institutions, and unique position as the world's first working representative democracy. This definition goes beyond the kind of nationalism that defines the citizens of most national and ethnic heritages, and imbues the United States with a "divine" responsibility to lead the world in moral and religious authority, as well as in economic power, military strength, and political influence. Today's proponents of American Exceptionalism are generally political conservatives who hold to the idea that America is blessed and privileged by God to have played the role that it has played up to this point in history. They believe the United States is, as Ronald Reagan described it, "a shining city on a hill," or in other words, an indomitable symbol of light and freedom for the rest of the world to emulate.

Gosh. When you put it like that, we might find that most who read this article have American "Exceptionalistic" leanings. I know that I do! There are few titles that I place upon myself that I express with more pride than when I call myself an American. I am a flag-waving patriot. I am a staunch social and political conservative and I would call myself that long before I would call myself a Republican, though I tend to vote Republican in every election in the blind hope that my candidate is at least more likely to feel the same way that I do. I am a Rush Limbaugh disciple. A Glenn Beck devotee. And a Tea Party sympathizer. The bumper sticker on my car reads, "I was Anti-Obama before it was cool." Before two years ago I'd never displayed a bumper sticker in my life. But like many Americans, many Latter-day Saints, and probably many regular citizens of this country, I have become concerned that the foundation of our representative democracy is threatened by the policies and postures of the current office holders in Washington (notice I said "office holders" and not merely the current "administration").

Conservative leader Mike Huckabee stated that "to deny American exceptionalism is in essence to deny the heart and soul of this nation." These words were quoted in an article about the Tea Party movement in America, helping us to understand that these two philosophies have a lot in common. Mike Huckabee, as we know, is a faithful Baptist minister with distinctly anti-Mormon leanings as we learned during his political battle with former Gov. Mitt Romney. In spite of this, I think it's fair to say that American Exceptionalism is deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of most deeply religious Christians in this country.

Who would deny that the rise of popularity and visibility of the Heartland model goes hand in hand with the rise and popularity associated with the current political sentiments in America? Therefore, a valid question that everyone should ask is: What happens when you mingle American Exceptionalism with Book of Mormon geography? The answer, I am here to propose, is the Heartland Model of Book of Mormon Geography. I believe that to understand the reason why this theory is inherently attractive to many Latter-day Saints—American Latter-day Saints—one needs only to examine the current political developments among America's religious conservatives.

Some may wonder how these two philosophies even relate. As I hope I am able to make clear, that relationship is fundamental. You see, a primary ingredient that modern American Exceptionalism may be lacking in the fast-growing secularist and globalist environment of our nation, is a powerful and "exclusive" religious component. All the better if this missing component can also be rooted in a framework of biological, anthropological, and archaeological science (alongside supposed historical scholarship). As far as I have been able to determine, no other dynamic across the spectrum of the American landscape fits more neatly into, or better supports, the current conservative political trends in America than the ones presented by Rod Meldum and the Heartland or Promised Land models of Book of Mormon geography.

Now, if I'm not careful, Brother Meldrum could use that quote out of context to support his model, so let me clarify that any support that these philosophies bring to American Exceptionalism is fundamentally flawed, doctrinally unsound, and spiritually damaging and isolating, not only to the Church itself as it transforms from an American organization into a worldwide organization, but to the individual Latter-day Saint who advocates them. Yes, as I have already stated, I am a proud American. But when it comes to the gospel of Jesus Christ, my patriotism and my nationalism hit a brick wall. What I mean is, that's where my identity as an American is soundly trumped.

I used to give a fireside talk about the labels or titles who choose for ourselves. I discussed how all of us identify ourselves by hundreds of labels—a parent, a student, an American, an African American, a woman, an artist, an intellectual, a scrapbooker, a Cheesehead (that's a fan of the Green Bay Packers), a Trekkie . . . Each of us has hundreds of these labels. But whenever any single label earns more prominence in our minds than our identity as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it's my belief that the Adversary will invariably, eventually, use that label to twist our loyalties and undermine our faith. If we have to make a choice between a favorite label and the Gospel, the Gospel generally loses. In other words, we will accept following the precepts of being a Latter-day Saint only and if those precepts do not interfere with our identity as, say, an artist, or our desire to shop on Sunday, or our status as an intellectual, in which case, Gospel precepts fall by the wayside. Another danger is when we improperly mingle those labels together. Being a Glenn Beck listener I'm well aware of current diatribes that he has presented against mingling the concepts of government, economy, and religion. We're all aware of the dangers or bias inherent in pegging someone with the stereotype of being a "Utah Mormon." But I think the same dangers can be inherent in mingling the concept of being an American Latter-day Saint.

We don't need to dig too deeply to ascertain that Brother Meldrum's model is firmly rooted in American Exceptionalism, nationalism, and nativism. It's apparent in the very titles that he has chosen to represent his model. For example—"Heartland." Heartland of what? Well, obviously he means the heartland of America. But it means more than that. In the context in which he's placed the word it has much the same emotional meaning as "fatherland" to a German or "motherland" to a Russian. The word itself is designed to invoke warm and fuzzy images of the Declaration of Independence, Minuteman pounding on drums, and the Stars and Stripes. In fact, those are the very images that appear on Brother Meldrum's website FIRM or the Foundation of Indigenous Research and Mormonism. See:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs022/1102686658457/archive/1103458743076.html

Their recent symposium in Utah County was entitled America's Freedom Education Week and, according to the list of presenters and presentations, it freely mingled conservative patriotism with the concepts of Heartland Book of Mormon geography. I believe the Heartland people are well aware of the tenets that represent their most successful sales tactics. They know that their future success depends upon milking the most profitable dynamic. To maximize their visibility and success, it is imperative to them to mingle American Exceptionalism and Book of Mormon geography. The tactic itself is as old and as wily as it can possibly be: Push a controversial or unpublicized agenda by intermixing it with something that few can disagree with. All the better if that "mutually agreed-upon" thing is also emotionally evocative.

Another phrase highly publicized by the Heartland people is "Promised Land." Very powerful words, particularly for Latter-day Saints, and it goes to the heart of the most fundamental point that they use to support their geographic model—the idea that the United States is the only nation that could possibly be defined by the parameters of a blessed nation as described by the Book of Mormon. Here's Brother Meldrum in his own words:

"Does the Book of Mormon itself indicate the location of its 'Promised Land'? YES, again the Book of Mormon consistently gives us guidance and direction if we will simply look for it. The DVD presentation develops for the first time a scriptural 'chain mail' that firmly and conclusively indicates exactly where the 'Promised Land' of the Book of Mormon is to be found. There are 36 specific Prophesies and Promises found in over 200 scriptural passages pertaining to the Promised Land of the latter days. Each of these are fulfilled in only one latter-day nation as defined by scripture. That nation is the United States of America. This is supported by the text of the Book of Mormon, along with the Doctrine and Covenants, both considered holy cannon of the church. The Book of Mormon occurred on the Promised Land according to its record, making the United States of America the principle location of its geography."

In the interest of time, let's focus on what many would likely concede is the most specific of these 200 scriptural passages, namely 2 Nephi Chapter 1, verses 5-9:

5 But, said he [Father Lehi], notwithstanding our afflictions, we have obtained a land of promise, a land which is choice above all other lands; a land which the Lord God hath covenanted with me should be a land for the inheritance of my seed. Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.

6 Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

7 Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

8 And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

9 Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever.

Now, as we study these verses more closely, let's list the characteristics that the "promised land" being described by the Prophet Lehi must possess:

1. It must be the "land" that Lehi obtained, a promised land, however that might be defined.

2. It must be "choice" above all other lands

3. It must be, according to the Lord's covenant, a land of inheritance for "Lehi's seed."

4. It must also be a land of inheritance for the people of "other countries" who are led there by the hand of the Lord.

5. It must be a land that no one is allowed to come to except they are led by the hand of the Lord.

6. It is a land consecrated unto those whom the Lord will bring.

7. It shall be a land of liberty, but only to those who shall serve the Lord according to the commandments which He has given.

8. It shall be a land which is never brought into captivity unless the land falls into iniquity. That caveat is very important.

9. In the case of iniquity the land shall be "cursed for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever."

10. For a long period of time the land shall be kept from the knowledge of the other lands to keep it from being overrun and, we presume, defiled as a place of inheritance.

It emphasizes again in verse 9 that those in the land who follow the Lord's commandments will be prosperous, blessed, protected, safe, and never molested.

Now, I mention again, published material by the Heartland people emphasizes many more verses than the ones I have highlighted here. But I'm not sure that any other verses highlight basic characteristics much different than those mentioned in the first chapter of 2 Nephi. So I'll simply ask: Which of these verses could be characterized as only referring to the United States of America?

I think it's common knowledge (so I didn't even bother to look up a reference) that most, if not all, of the nations of North and South America, after obtaining independence from their mother countries, used the Constitution of the United States as the model for their own constitutions. To this day there has never been a king upon the modern landscape of North or South America. Yes, there have been a few nasty dictators who are (for all practical purposes) the same thing as wicked kings. But the Nephites and Lamanites dealt with those kinds of leaders too, so in such cases we must refer back to the caveat: that the Lord's protection is only guaranteed when the inhabitants are righteous and do not fall into iniquity.

So why is Cuba currently governed by a dictatorship? I'm not sure. It's likely that Cuban nationals who defected to the United States would have some strong opinions about that. But the fact is, according to the Book of Mormon, if the people follow the Lord's commandments and repent of their sins, they will, if they are indeed inhabitants of the "promised land," remain a free and prosperous people.

In my personal studies of the arguments and materials presented and published by Rod Meldrum, Bruce Porter, Wayne May, and other Heartland advocates, there is nothing that persuades me that verses of the Book of Mormon or the Doctrine and Covenants describe exclusively the lands inside the natural borders of the United States of America. As I've already stated, I am indeed a flag-waving, patriotic American, but even the thought that somehow America or Americans or this land alone is exclusively favored or blessed by the hand of God, and that Mexico, Chile, Peru, Guatemala, Canada, and other Western Hemisphere nations fall outside the parameters of this definition is revolting to me. It's revolting and offensive. And I hope it's revolting and offensive to everyone else reading this article. Finally, I hope it's revolting, offensive, and repudiated by all Latter-day Saints, but particularly American Latter-day Saints.

I've had it confirmed by so many sources that, again, it seems trivial and silly to even cite a reference, that it is common practice among Latter-day Saints of Mexico, Chile, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Peru—you name it—to read these verses from the Book of Mormon and say, "Those verses are talking about us. They are talking about our lands. They are talking about the blessings that we are promised to receive if we are righteous and following the commandments of God." And the people of other nations don't limit the meaning to them. For them the definition is Hemispheric. I'd be curious to witness what kind of exchange takes place whenever an advocate of the Heartland model expresses his philosophies to a Latter-day Saint from another New World country. My opinion is that this would be American Exceptionalism at its very worst, and may actually go a long way toward explaining why some people in foreign nations despise and distrust Americans, always feeling that they will, invariably, put their own self-interests first. Please, I pray, do not let Latter-day Saint Americans fall into this category of Americans.

As I've stated previously, I'm not a scholar. I'm much more comfortable calling myself a philosopher. If you're interested in scholarship to resolve this issue, I hope that you'll refer to many fine presentations offered by others. Also, may I direct you to an unpublished talk given by Matt Roper entitled "Losing the Remnant—the New Exclusivist Movement and the Book of Mormon." Unpublished? Yes, I'm told that it's slated for publication later this year (2010). Brother Roper granted me special permission to refer to it. In his presentation Brother Roper exhaustively identifies dozens of references wherein prophets and leaders of the LDS Church have specified that the term "promised land" definitively refers to lands beyond the United States of America. Such references come from sources as distinguished as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Spencer W. Kimball, J. Reuben Clark, David O. McKay, Ezra Taft Benson, and other formidable Church authorities.

For example, Brigham Young taught in August of 1852, "The land of Joseph is the land of Zion; and it takes North and South America to make the land of Joseph. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.6, p.296, Brigham Young, August 15, 1852)."

Elder George F. Richards testified in 1922, “The land of North and South America is a very much favored portion of our Father's footstool, and he has declared with his own mouth that it is a land of promise -- a chosen land -- above all other lands. (George F. Richards, Conference Report, October 1922, p.80)."

In 1937 President Heber J. Grant stated, “I am a firm believer that this country, both North and South America, is the choice land of the world, a land choice above all other lands, according to the words of the prophets in the Book of Mormon. (Heber J. Grant, Conference Report, October 1937, p.98)."

In 1979, Ezra Taft Benson said to the Saints in Bolivia:

God raised up wise leaders among your progenitors which afforded Latin American countries political freedom and independence. I only mention the names of a few whom God raised up to accomplish His holy and Sovereign purposes: Jose de San Martin, Bernardo O’Higgins, and Simon Bolivar. These were some of the `founding fathers of your continent. I believe it was very significant that when independence came to the countries of South America, governments were established on constitutional principles–some patterned after the Constitution of the United States. I believe this was a very necessary step which preceded the preaching of the gospel in South America (Ezra Taft Benson, “The Righteous Need not Fear,” La Paz, Bolivia, 10-18 January 1979, in Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, 695)."

This is but a small sampling. Brother Roper's article discusses a myriad of other misconceptions presented by Porter and Meldrum with such clarity that it leads me to wonder how such a myopic definition of "promised land" ever gained traction among Church members in the first place. Again, the only explanation for me is the all-too human flaw and failing of somehow wanting to find as many rationales as possible to feel that oneself or one's country is in some way superior to others—a flaw for which American Latter-day Saints are obviously not immune.

I first realized this kind of biased perception existed among American members of the Church prior to the time that I wrote my first published novel. The realization occurred during my first trip to Mexico with Dr. Joseph Allen and Book of Mormon Tours. I was 23 years old, unmarried, and possibly the youngest member of the tour. During one of the long bus rides across the Mexican countryside several of us looked out across the landscape and noticed a single farmer diligently working the soil with a mule and an old-fashioned plow. A woman and fellow tourist sitting across from me sighed and said, rather innocently, "Doesn't a sight like that make you feel especially blessed to have been born and raised as a Latter-day Saint in America?"

She may not have been aware that I'd actually converted at the age of 18. In any case, I pondered her statement deeply, at first inclined to nod. There was no doubt in my mind that it was an incredible blessing to have been born an American and to have discovered the Church in the midst of affluent and intelligent Latter-day Saints. Such individuals had borne sincere testimony to me for many years. But I'd made other observations during that trip to Mexico. I'd met several LDS Mexican families and had the privilege of attending a Mexican Sacrament meeting in a tiny community in the state of Veracruz. The feelings that I had were quite profound. So, as I sometimes do, I began to apply a little different interpretation to my fellow tourist's seemingly innocent statement. I thought about the humility of those Mexican saints, the fact that virtually every activity they enjoyed was centered around their families, and I began to wonder if the fact that I was an American Latter-day Saint who'd been raised in what, by Mexican standards, would have certainly been wealthy, might actually find myself cursed rather than blessed. If the ultimate objective is to return to our Father in Heaven and reach the Celestial Kingdom, could my circumstances as an affluent American, born into a family that to this day is not particularly close, and having a distinct tendency to complain if my steak is cooked medium-rare instead of medium-well, prove a hindrance to my overall ability to tap into the voice of the Spirit and let that power be the dominating compass of my life? Maybe, in the end, the humble circumstances of that Mexican farmer would make him better prepared for his reunion with Christ than my own? It was a sobering thought, and it affected me a great deal then, even as it does today. The fact is that missionary success in the United States, as far as convert baptisms, has dropped off significantly in the past decade, so much so that I've been told that General Authorities have expressed concern over the matter.

Now who are the missionaries? Unfortunately, that's you and me that any such statistics would be talking about—not merely 19-year-olds with nametags. I'm disturbed to confess that in the 29 years that I've been a member of this Church, I've only had a reliable home-teacher who showed up regularly about 2 of those years. I could cite other examples of what might be considered waning exuberance among American saints, but in doing so I might confess some of my own shortcomings. Perhaps my experience is unique among American or Utah Mormons. The point is that if we, as saints, will not fulfill the basic requirements of Church membership, the Lord's blessings must inevitably be withheld and offered elsewhere, undoubtedly to those whom the Lord can rely upon to valiantly serve in building His kingdom. There are very sobering scriptures found in 3 Nephi Chapter 16 which discuss the ultimate destiny of the gentile saints—which is what most of us are. We are gentiles "adopted" into the house of Israel. These verses in 3 Nephi discuss a transition within the Church back to being an organization whose descendants are predominantly of the House of Israel. Such verses may suggest that the days of dominance for European/American Latter-day Saints in the Church of Jesus Christ may be numbered. (see 3 Nephi 16: 10-14)

It's my sober opinion that for some American saints, if they learned tomorrow that the headquarters of the Church were moving to Seoul, South Korea, it would give them serious pause. They would fail completely to understand such a decision. Ultimately the decision would put their faith in crisis. It's this tendency, this bias, this worldview that persists among many American Mormons that the Heartland model exploits with embarrassing success, causing some faithful Church members to forget basic tenets of the Church that they have been taught all of their lives.

The most essential of those tenets, I believe, is the doctrine that personal revelation is never to be published or distributed among the general members of the Church unless that revelation is received, and the distribution is orchestrated and approved, by the Prophet and President of the Church, who is at this time Thomas S. Monson. Section 28 of the Doctrine and Covenants expounds that principle of the Church so resoundingly that I'm always baffled when Church members seem to forget or ignore this. Rodney Meldrum has consistently proclaimed that he has received revelatory guidance in formulating his Book of Mormon perspectives and establishing his organizations. He has attacked Church-funded research efforts, Church-established scholarly organizations, and accused the LDS Church and its leaders of refusing (in his mind) to follow Joseph Smith, and of wasting millions of tithing dollars by pursuing erroneous archaeological projects. A compilation of the many recorded instances where Rod Meldrum blatantly and unapologetically reveals spiritual promptings as the guiding factor behind his actions has been complied by FAIR in an article on their website.

http://www.fairlds.org/Book_of_Mormon/MisguidedS.html

It seems that few proponents of the Heartland model have been inclined to read this reference, or they have chosen to entirely ignore Section 28's guidelines. I'd heard a rumor that Brother Meldrum was trying to back away and temper such remarks, but in a newsletter published in June-July of this year, Brother Meldrum again reinforces his method for proving his arguments. After relishing the fact that his theories have provoked so many rebuttals from organizations like FAIR and BMAF and a powerpoint presentation by Joseph and Blake Allen, he writes:

One might ask, why would The FIRM Foundation [Meldrum's new counter-organization to FAIR] provide links to these websites [like FAIR and BMAF]? Wouldn't we be afraid to have folks see the materials critical to the Heartland Model? We have always encouraged folks to study things out in their own minds, and then do as the scriptures indicate...ask the source of all truth if it be right or wrong. Those who have objectively considered the research provided in the new 5 DVD series, Book of Mormon Evidence, don't require others to respond to the questions brought up in the Allen's powerpoint, they can answer those questions for themselves. And when they see inaccurate information or erroneous conclusions in regard to the Heartland Model, it is more likely to stengthen their desire to learn more of the Heartland Model.

I'm not going to mince words. This is nefarious stuff. What Brother Meldrum boldly asserts is that general Latter-day Saints are fully authorized to receive revelation on matters for which the Prophet and leaders of the LDS Church have offered no definitive doctrine or direction. In fact, they have offered definitive direction to the contrary. The statements of the Heartlanders are so bold and plain that any supporter of Meldrum or the Heartland model of Book of Mormon geography, when asked in a Temple Recommend interview if they support any organizations whose teachings are contrary to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would likely have to confess, "Yes!"

But don't be too surprised. This kind of spiritual manipulation has been taking place in our midst for generations and must be perpetually corrected by Church leaders. Persons attempting to advocate a certain position often cannot overcome the temptation to state, in essence, "I have learned by the Spirit of revelation that what I am proposing is true, and if somehow you fail to receive the same spiritual confirmation, well, it must mean that you're not praying hard enough, you're not worthy, or you're not able to detect the Spirit's Voice." This leaves the listener feeling that if they somehow fail to receive confirmation one way or the other, they must be less of a Latter-day Saint. So, to save face, the vulnerable pupil either pretends to have received the necessary revelation or they must misinterpret what a spiritual prompting actually is. However, there is a third option. Both parties, because they have failed to understand or deliberately ignored the principles of revelatory stewardship, could actually receive a revelation—but not from our Father in Heaven. This is why Section 28 was given to us. This is why the principles of revelatory stewardship have been so carefully established in the Lord's Church.

How many of you have had some person who is close to you approach and say, "I've been praying about your situation . . ." or "You've been heavily on my mind of late and I feel prompted that I should tell you the following . . ." Yuck! I had this happen to me recently and all I could think was "Yuck!" The polite response is usually, "Well, I'll pray about it too and if I receive the same message, I'll let you know." But you don't even have to do that. If the person who has approached you has no position of stewardship or authority over you, or even if they have authority, but it does not encompass the subject of their message, you don't need verification! The situation is already twisted! The person bringing the message may even love you and be well-meaning, but the truth is, they are attempting to manipulate you, and for some reason they feel that their wisdom or advice can be better augmented if they can just give it a "spiritual edge." I urge us all to lovingly correct any such manipulations. If we fail to do so, and somehow start down a path suggested by this so-called "revelator," the result is most likely to end in heartbreak and disaster, and the adversary will be laughing.

Someone very near and dear to my heart once approached me and said, "I've prayed about it and received an answer, and if you pray about it, I promise you'll get the same answer that I did." So I did. And I didn't. And this issue remains a source of conflict between us to this day—a conflict that I think would have been resolved with a full understanding of revelatory stewardship.

I'm proud to say—I know that's a strange word to use in this context, but I'll use it anyway—I'm proud to say that I've never received a single revelation with regard to Book of Mormon geography or scholarship. I'm proud that I've never been found more worthy than the Prophet of God in offering to the world new and unrevealed information regarding this sacred volume of scripture. Does this mean that we can't use our intellect to expand such understandings? Absolutely not! Does it mean that we shouldn't pray for guidance? Are you kidding me? Only a fool would pursue any intellectual undertaking without praying for guidance.

I actually owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr. Joseph Allen on the issue of revelatory stewardship. I've criticized portions of Dr. Allen's research in my recent blogs, but the fact remains that, as a mentor on this subject, Dr. Allen helped me to establish an early firm foundation. As I said before, I went on tour with Dr. Allen when I was twenty-three, still vulnerable, still impressionable, like so many members of our Church at any age. For some reason I couldn't help but ask him at one point how he felt "spiritually" about some of the proposals that he was making regarding Book of Mormon locations. Dr. Allen's eyes kind of glazed over. He shrugged and said with absolutely no emotion, "I feel alright." He went on to explain that it wasn't his place to "feel" anything one way or another. He was just doing the best that he could with the information available. I've always been grateful for the stance that he took on such a matter when I was still very young in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There's no telling what the future holds for organizations like FIRM or Rodney Meldrum or the Heartland model of Book of Mormon geography. Some may be convinced that American Exceptionalism has nothing to do with their convictions regarding this model and that they are simply "intellectually" convinced. Or, no matter how hard they try, the inner bias and prejudice are so deeply entrenched they just cannot make the separation in their minds. Others might ask, "What harm is there in supporting or studying one model over another model?" The answer to that question depends upon who is asking it and why they are asking it. The harm could be negligible or it could be substantial. As the LDS website FAIR states:

If members of the Church or sincere investigators are told . . . that a certain set of facts or scientific findings support the gospel, they may later feel misled or deceived when they learn that those facts have been misrepresented or misinterpreted. If they are encouraged to anchor their faith to the sands of a flawed argument, when the truth washes the sand away the believer’s faith may go with it.

There's no doubt that the harm to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in general is the divisiveness that this "movement" has provoked among its members. Additional harm is added to the mix in that some members of the Church seem more prone to reject generations of quality LDS scholarship altogether. I have no doubt that the conflict related to Book of Mormon geography inside US borders vs. other geography models will indeed cause some to abandon their faith. I was recently sent a link by the author of an internet article. This author harshly criticized me for my presentation on American Exceptionalim and Book of Mormon Geography before I'd even had a chance to present it! This man believed in the Book of Mormon, believed in the basic premises of the Heartland model--and has roundly rejected the LDS Church and its leaders. I would have never conceived that such a thing could exist! But it most definitely does.

The adversary has a wide range of stratagems and devices that he employs to deceive Church members and drive a stake into our testimonies. But it would be a sincere shame if a phenomenon like this becomes the means of driving anyone to question the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the organization that the Lord has established to represent Him. But such a consequence seems inevitable when a set of facts or findings are anchored—deliberately or inadvertently—to the trends of nationalism and exceptionalism that have so passionately captivated American conservatives over the past several years.

May we always take pride in our American citizenship and may we honor it by acts of patriotism and service. But may we never allow our national pride to trump our faith or interfere with the overall mission of the Lord's Church in penetrating every continent, visiting every clime, sweeping every country, and sounding in every ear—"till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say The Work Is Done."

Copyright 2010 by Chris Heimerdinger

Speeches and Handshakes

2010-10-18T15:08:00.012-06:00

Okay, before I get into the details of my speech at this weekend's BMAF Conference, let me give you the signing schedule through the end of November:

OCTOBER EVENTS

Thur 10/21 - 11-3 pm, Lehi Costco
Fri, Oct. 22 - Noon-2pm, Lehi Costco
Fri 10/22 - 4-7 pm, S. Ogden Costco
Sat 10/23 - Chris will be speaking at BMAF Convention (Book of Mormon Archealogical Foundation) -Sheraton Hotel - 150 W. 500 S., Salt Lake City, UT. Starts at 9:00 AM. (Call 208-736-3779, 208-736-3779 or 208-420-0945 for more information)
Thur 10/28 - 11-4 pm, Murray Costco
Fri Oct. 29 - 11 am to 1 pm, Utah Valley University (UVU) Bookstore, Orem
Sat 10/30 - 11-3 pm, West Bountiful Costco

NOVEMBER EVENTS

Sat, Nov. 6th – St George, Costco, 11-4pm
Nov. 9th Lehi Costco, 11-2 pm
Nov. 12th - Orem Costco, 11-2pm
Nov. 18th - Lehi Costco, 11-2 pm
Nov, 19th - West Bountiful Costco, 11-2pm
Sat, Nov. 20th – Twin Falls Costco, 10am-Noon
Sat, Nov. 20th – Crowley’s Quad, 1-4 pm
Tues, Nov. 23rd – Orem Costco, 11-2pm
Wed, Nov. 24th – West Bountiful Costco, 11-2pm
BLACK Fri, Nov. 26th– Orem Costco, 10-2pm
BLACK Fri, Nov. 26th – Redwood Seagull (about 15th South), 3-4:30
Tues, Nov. 30 - West Bountiful, 11-2pm

Please make note of 1st-time appearances in St. George, Utah and more appearances in Idaho in November! My signings in Rexburg and Pocatello this weekend were tremendous. All combined we sold over 500 books at both venues! That's a lot of "Tennis Shoes" readers--many of them NEW to the series. Unfortunately, many packages won't be opened until Christmas morning (sorry about that. Not my fault! Talk to your parents and grandparents!). It's been a great thrill to meet so many of my readers and fans these past few weeks. May the signings continue!!!

OCTOBER'S "FREE STUFF" SPECIAL

As I have mentioned in previous posts, throughout the month of October, orders of $20 or more (before shipping) placed directly through me by calling 801-495-0555 or by ordering on the website http://www.heimerrecords.com/ will receive a choice of FREE STUFF. THIS SPECIAL ENDS ON OCT. 31st! I've never revealed the identity of the freebies. Just know that they are valuable, previously published, and created by me. I give the list to customers as they order or if you order online, I contact you by email. If you're looking for great stuff either for your personal library or just for autographed Christmas gifts, this is a deal that only an author could provide for his fans. For goodness sake CALL AND ASK FOR CHRIS!

BMAF CONFERENCE

As mentioned on the calender of events, this weekend I will give my presentation at the Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City for the Book of Mormon Archeological Convention entitled, "American Exceptionalism and Book of Mormon Geography." I'm sure I'll post portions of the speech on my blog next week, but I would welcome anyone to come listen to the presentation as well as other great presentations by a host of accredited speakers. My hour-long presentation, I believe, begins around 11:45 AM. My subject (if the title isn't clear) is to discuss recent trends among certain LDS "for-profit" organizations to try and mingle issues of American nationalism and nativism with tenets of Book of Mormon scholarship, which I feel is a MAJOR no-no. The Church has never defined where Book of Mormon cities and events took place. Nevertheless, some are trying to convince us that Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon make these things clear, proclaiming a position that even the Lord's prophets have never proclaimed. My objective is to take some air out of such philosophies and to remind us that all revelation is reserved solely for the President of the Church.

I hope to see some of you there!

New Signing Schedule/ Free Stuff Thru October

2010-09-29T17:45:00.008-06:00

Here's my October autograph signing schedule. I'm excited to be going to Idaho and Ogden, which are new locations (this season). I love BYU bookstores in both states. We also slipped in a signing at the Utah Valley University bookstore. I happily confess, I've never had more fun meeting fans and signing books. I know. It's been toooo long!!! I've been roundly reprimanded by MANY fans for having to wait 5 years between books. I promise such a time-span will never elapse again. So here's where I'll be in Oct:

Sat 10/9 - 11-4 pm, Orem Costco
Fri 10/15 – BYU-Idaho, 11-3 pm
Sat 10/16 – Pocatello Costco, 11-3 pm
Sat 10/16 - 4-5 pm Pocatello Deseret Book
Thur 10/21 - 11-3 pm, Lehi Costco
Fri 10/22 - 4-7 pm, S. Ogden Costco
Sat 10/23 - Chris will be speaking at BMAF Convention (Book of Mormon Archealogical Foundation) -Sheraton Hotel - 150 W. 500 S., Salt Lake City, UT. Starts at 9:00 AM. (Call 208-736-3779 or 208-420-0945 for more registration information)
Thur 10/28 - 11-4 pm, Murray Costco
Fri Oct. 29 - 11 am to 1 pm, UVU Bookstore, Orem
Sat 10/30 - 11-3 pm, West Bountiful Costco

The offering of FREE STUFF with every order placed through me
(801-495-0555) or http://www.heimerrecords.com/ over $20 (before shipping costs) will continue THROUGH OCTOBER. Many people, of course, email asking, "What's the free stuff?" and I perpetually reply, "It's a surprise. Call to find out!" An opportunity like this is probably reserved for the authors (you know, because of connections, etc.) When you hear which published items I'm referring to, you'll understand. So whatcha got to lose? Just call. Even if you already have some of these items, turn them into Christmas gifts! I hope such gifts will make you a hero (or at least a very nice person) to relatives and friends. Place the order online and I will contact you via phone or email to ask which free item you want. I hope this makes October a little more enjoyable for customers. October is the birthday month for my wife, my mother, my brother, and one of my children. So...BUSY MONTH!

Stay close to the Lord.

Chris Heimerdinger

FREE STUFF???

2010-09-21T14:42:00.009-06:00

Seems my life these days consists of two things: autograph signings and family. When I write I'm either composing the sequel to Passage to Zarahemla, (maybe I should just call it what it is: Escape From Zarahemla) or creating the presentation that I'm giving in October for BMAF (Book of Mormon Archeological Foundation).

I wanted to thank all those who ordered autographed copies of various books and audio books (primarily Sorcerers and Seers) over the past few months. I hope by now that all customers have received their copies--signed and sealed. I've certainly noticed there's a lot of competition now from various stores and venders--internet and otherwise--vying for book sales. So I decided, why not beat them all?

Here's the deal. Beginning Friday Sept 24, everyone who places a new order of $20 or more with http://www.heimerrecords.com or simply by calling me directly at 801-495-0555, will receive a choice of one free Heimerdinger product. Yes, you will have a choice between three or four KNOWN CREATIONS that my publishers have marketed in LDS bookstores. This sale will last through October. I think I'm gonna to leave the identity of such items to your imagination right now, that is, except for those who place orders. If you place the new order online, I will contact you via email or phone to ask which free item you would like included. But why not just call? The website does not sell many of my books yet (because this particular ordering site, in my humble opinion, is kind of rinky-dink, but a wonderful new webmaster named Courtney Wilson is helping to spruce things up).

In case you're wonderfing, this is something that only I can offer. No other retailer can do so. I'm taking full advantage of my position as an author and the products I have on hand that are not available anywhere else (at least in the same capacity). And hey, my family has become quite proficient at packaging orders. It's a great way to bring us all together.

I deeply appreciate the positive feedback that I've received so far on Sorcerers and Seers. I will say again to readers: Resist the urge to skip chapters and read ahead to find out what happens to certain characters or with certain events. Several readers have confessed that doing this undermined some of their enjoyment of the novel. Why did it undermine the experience? Well, because even if a chapter does not necessarily discuss a certain character or certain events, the inter-relationship between what is happening in the various time periods is critical. I wrote the story in the order that I wrote it for a reason. Okay, I'll give you one specific example. Those who have already read the book might appreciate how Jude's situation provides valuable insights for Meagan's situation. That's all I'll say about it. There are other examples I could give. So however difficult the temptation is to resist skipping ahead, I strongly advise that you read the book cover to cover in order.

Lastly, please be careful about posting "spoilers" on places like Facebook or other sites. Let readers consume the plot with the same sense of mystery about what happens next as every other reader. I also strongly advise all fans and readers to join the Chris Heimerdinger Group on Facebook. This is a forum that I moderate along with another fan named Brandon Wilcox. This club allows me to address many of the specific questions that readers have that are too complicated to post here. Readers can also have discussions with each other on various topics. I look forward to hearing from anyone who wishes to talk "Tennis Shoes turkey", but I'd prefer to do so on the Chris Heimerdinger Group page. Thanks again for your fanship and dedication to this adventure series.

Chris Heimerdinger

The Long Awaited Day....

2010-09-12T10:28:00.004-06:00

There can be no doubt that I have never gone so long between books. No doubt that this is the most ambitious novel I've undertaken, and the longest. I think I can safely report that most bookstores have Tennis Shoes Adventure Book 11: Sorcerers and Seers out on the shelves. Most of my book signings so far have been extraordinarily successful. Yesterday, between the two venues, I signed about 200 books for people--some avid fans, and some who were buying the books for the first time. In any case, these kinds of numbers are not particularly common for me. It was, humbly speaking, more attention than usual.

I've gotten positive feedback from fans so far, but I'm sure I'll inevitably get the latter. Yesterday at the Sandy, Costco I had a strange confrontation with a fan who assured me that he "loved my books" but would not purchase any more until the series was totally complete. It was a very love/hate kind of confrontation, but I think I understand the sentiment.

The standard response I always give to folks at signings when they ask if this is the last book is, "No. Right now I'm working on a sequel to Passage to Zarahemla. This sequel will tie-in to the Tennis Shoes series. And when you read the sequel to Passage to Zarahemla (called Escape From Zarahemla), you'll understand why this book had to be written before I could write Book 12 or Thorns of Glory." In a sense that means there will be at least two more novels in the Tennis Shoes "saga." And maybe more beyond that. But my goal is to at least complete the basic storyline currently underway in Book 12.

I realize I've pursued a very strange style of storytelling to end a book on a cliffhanger. It's not such an uncommon style with modern authors, but I know a reader is often tempted to groan in frustration when they reach the last page. However, for any reader who simply loves a great story, and can drink in the plot and words and characters, I'm not sure they should care too much. Many appreciate the complex milieu and are grateful that it isn't the end--that characters they have come to know and appeciate will "be back." Each of my Tennis Shoes novels have successively gotten longer, meaning that I have tried to create greater "value" simply by adding more adventure. That may be the result of addressing the "frustration" sentiment. Will more pages to keep someone on the edge of their seat seem more worth the price? But even a good friend of mine who works for my publisher expressed that she will not read my books until she knows that the series is finally and completely done. Hmm. Unfortunately she may find herself in for a very long wait. Even if I draw to a close the story currently underway that technically began with Warriors of Cumorah, that doesn't mean that I might not pursue the series further and take it another direction.

I had another fan yesterday who came up to me and explained that she will read the storylines out of order. She was just too impatient to find out what happened to Steffanie and Pagag, for example, and then she went back and read the rest of the chapters that she had skipped. I certainly understand this temptation. But I don't advise it. Especially toward the end. Those who have completed the book know that the storylines unexpectedly converge and combine in a way that would spoil certain plot twists if one read the book out of order. Those who have experienced the twist with a certain Jaredite warrioress understand what I'm saying. I'm not sure the surprise or "gestalt" of this would be quite the same if someone read the book out of order. But who can say? To each his/her own. Consume the book however you judge to be best.

My hope is simply that the book is judged to be good writing, strong storytelling, compelling research, and mind-bending plotlines. If a reader doesn't come away with a greater appreciation for the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, and an understanding of the complexity of the Book of Mormon that they previously did not possess, then the book should not have been written. The end goal with these books remains the same: a person with a flagging testimony should be compelled to get on their knees and reopen a powerful dialogue with their Father in Heaven; a teenager who is vacillating whether or not to go on a mission should find himself bursting at the seams to share the Gospel and play whatever small role they possibly can in building God's magnificent kingdom. Finally, anyone who is experiencing excruciating trials should be comforted to know that others have experienced/are experiencing similar trials, and have/are pulling through. Sure, the trials in this book are fictional. But are they? The majority of us do not have trials related to traveling in time, but beyond that, specific emotions and distress that my characters endure should seem very familiar. The spiritual challenges, physical suffering, and heart-wrenching grief are all part of the human condition. I've personally been through a lot of those. And readers who have the gift to truly immerse themselves in a work of fiction and "become part" of the adventure, I hope, find themselves very much strengthened and comforted with regard to overall theme of the Tennis Shoes series. And what is that theme? I would hope that any of my veteran readers can answer that without hestitation. Simply put: God is at the helm.

I welcome feedback from readers--so long as it doesn't spoil specific plot points. If you can't resist that, then feel free to write me directly at my email: cheimerdinger@gmail.com. I've already had my first fans ask me with eagerness, "When's the next book coming out?" So the brief respite and satisfaction that I may have enjoyed relishing the experience of completing such a long and complex novel is officially over. Now I have to get back to work.

I express, once again, my sincere gratitute to fans who have stuck with me, and stuck with the series all these year. My sincere objective is to prove that it is, ever and always, worth the wait. No shortcuts. The books are designed to get better and better as I challenge myself to out-do what I have previously done. I sincerely want to be the creator of some of the best storytelling and novel-writing the LDS market has enjoyed. History will tell if I have successed. But mostly, fans will tell. It will be shown by how long these books actually remain on the shelves of LDS booksellers before the owners finally make room for whatever is the newest trend or "thing." So far this month I seem to have earned a revitalized position on that shelf. Let's hope those days continue for a very long time.

Those who wish to preorder Sorcerors and Seers, or any other Tennis Shoes novel, DVD, etc., can call me directly at 801-495-0555. Yes, I often answer the phone directly. Whatever I become, I hope it's never someone too busy or too "important" to speak directly with fans.

CD is Shipping/ Updated Signing Schedule

2010-09-02T22:46:00.001-06:00

Here is the most current list of autograph events beginning next week.

Wed, Sept. 8 - BYU Bookstore 11am-2pm
Thurs, Sept. 9 - 11-3 pm, Sandy Costco
Thurs, Sept. 9 - 4-7 pm, West Bountiful Costco
Fri, Sept 10 - 11:30 am-1:30 pm, Deseret Book Downtown (across from Temple Square)
Sat, Sept. 11 - 11-3 pm, Orem Costco
Sat, Sept. 11 - 4-6 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 14 - Noon-2pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 15 - Noon-3 pm, Salt Lake City Costco
Sept. 16 - Noon-3pm, Orem Costco
Sept. 17 - 1-4 pm, Lehi Costco
Sept. 17 - 5-7 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 18 - 11-3pm, Orem Costco
Sept. 21 - 3-6 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 22 - 3-6 pm, Murray Costco
Sept. 23 - 3-6 pm. Murray Costco
Sept. 24 - 5-7 pm, Lehi Costco
Sept. 25 - 4-6 pm, Sandy Costco

The audio CD for Sorcerers and Seers is shipping tomorrow! The book actually arrived two days late, and is expected in the warehouse tomorrow (Fri, Sept. 3). From there I have to work to get packages ready and ship, likely, on Tuesday.

Things are rolling. They are coming together very quickly. Those who ordered directly from me should have their books and CDs by the end of next week or the first part of the following week (kinda depends on the United States Mail service in your area.)

There's no stopping this now. I've contemplated every possible angle and there's no possible way to prevent this book from hitting the LDS market in a mere matter of days and impacting the LDS culture now and forever.

. . . Not that I want to to stop it. Just sounded kinda dramatic to say it that way. :)

Book 11 Ships This Week!

2010-08-31T11:25:00.002-06:00

Okay, so here's the surprise. I am promised by clandestine and reputable sources (my publisher) that the book is actually arriving at the Covenant Communications warehouse on Wed or Thurs of this week. Oddly enough, I believe 'em. This means that for all those who have pre-ordered Tennis Shoes Vol. 11: Sorcerers and Seers directly from me, we will begin the process of shipping all packages this week. The wait is almost over. The eagle has almost landed. The rubber is about to hit the road. The monkey is about to swallow the wrench. (Not sure what that last one means, but...I like it.)

Not too late to be part of the first wave of pre-orders. Go to: Link

Or, you can always just call me directly at 801-495-0555. If I'm not home, just leave a number. Much Grass! (Spanish, I think.)

Chris Heimerdinger

Heimerdinger at BMAF Conference and Updated Signing Event Schedule

2010-08-26T14:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, so here's an updated signing schedule. I know, I know. My publisher went hog wild with the Costco promotions. This schedule is only for the month of Sept. I expect a BYU-Provo to slip in there as well, but as of yet it's not finalized. In October I will try to go to BYU-Idaho and the Costco (yup, 'nother Costco) in Pocatello. I've never signed at any Costco before, so I hope it goes well. As of now, Cosco is not carrying the audio book, but if the first signings are successful and enough people mention it, we hope they'll expand their repertoire by the second or third signing. But for now:

Sept. 9 - 11-3 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 9 - 4-7 pm, West Bountiful Costco
Sept. 11 - 11-3 pm, Orem Costco
Sept. 11 - 4-6 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 14 - Noon-2pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 15 - Noon-3 pm, Salt Lake City Costco
Sept. 16 - Noon-3pm, Orem Costco
Sept. 17 - 1-4 pm, Lehi Costco
Sept. 17 - 5-7 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 18 - 11-3pm, Orem Costco
Sept. 21 - 3-6 pm, Sandy Costco
Sept. 22 - 3-6 pm, Murray Costco
Sept. 23 - 3-6 pm. Murray Costco
Sept. 24 - 5-7 pm, Lehi Costco
Sept. 25 - 4-6 pm, Sandy Costco

I might as well announce now that I am scheduled as one of the speakers/presenters at this year's BMAF (Book of Mormon Archeological Foundation) Conference that takes place in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday, October 23rd from 9 am to 5 pm. I extend a personal invitation to all readers and participants of the Frost Cave Blog.

The keynote speaker is Dr. Richard Bushman, acclaimed historian and author of Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling. Another presenter is Dr. Ugo Perego, a world-renowned DNA expert who will present a scientific explanation to questions being asked by many on the subject: "DNA Evidence--Can it Prove the Location of Book of Mormon Lands?"

There's a luncheon where an award will be presented honoring Dr. Hugh Nibley's 100th birthday. Sister Phyllis Nibley will accept the award for her late husband for their enduring contributions to the study of the Book of Mormon.

Other presentations include "Metals and Gold Plates in Mesoamerica" by Daniel Johnson; "The Heartland Model vs the Mesoamerican Model" by Ted Dee Stoddard; "The Olmec, the Jaredites, and Origins of Quetzalcoatl" by Douglas Christensen. And also little 'ol me with the presentation, "American Nationalism and Book of Mormon Geography," which (I hope) will offer insight into a rather disturbing trend with some Latter-day Saints who preach that only lands inside the actual borders of the United States qualify as "Promised Land" territories of the Book of Mormon.
The Conference is to be held at the Sheraton Hotel at 150 W 500 S, Salt Lake City. The fee for the day, including lunch, is $35 in advance or $40 at the door. You can pre-register online at www.bmaf.org and a name tag will be waiting for you.

I know this event is two months away, but room at the hotel may be limited, so I'm hoping that readers and fans of me or this blog who wish to attend can get a jump ahead.

JUST A LITTLE OVER ONE WEEK remains before Tennis Shoes 11: Sorcerers and Seers is released. There's a link to pre-order an autographed copy in the post below this post, but if you want to avoid the hassle of ordering online, just call me and I'll input the information directly into my merchant account: 801-495-0555.

I can't believe the 5-year wait is almost over. Trust me, it's been no less suspenseful for me as it has been for readers.

Stay Close to the Lord

Let the Autograph Parties Begin!--and Other Philosophies

2010-08-21T13:06:00.006-06:00

Just two weeks left! Hard to believe this book is so close to release. And hey, I just finished the opening chapter for the sequel to Passage to Zarahemla this week! This book's working title is Escape From Zarahemla. That's a first for me--working hard on another book before the currently completed book is released. I don't think I've ever done that before. Too busy with promotional stuff. So I hope that's a positive sign that the break between products will be short and that I'll flood the market with new adventures at a faster pace.

For those who would still like to pre-order Tennis Shoes 11: Sorcerers and Seers, go here: Link

Okay, so, below is a partial list of some of the autograph parties that are being scheduled. I expect one for BYU and BYU-I to be added next week. Possibly a few others.

FIRST SIGNING AT COSTCO IN OREM ON THE 4th WAS POSTPONED
(no surprise since the book itself isn't scheduled for release until the 7th)
Friday, Sept. 10 - Sandy Costco, 5-7 pm
Saturday, Sept. 11 - Orem Costco, 11-3 pm
Friday, Sept. 17 - Sandy Costco, 5-7 pm
Saturday, Sept. 18 -Orem Costco, 11-3pm
Friday, Sept. 24 - Lehi Costco, 5-7 pm

As you probably noticed, all of these signings are at COSTCO. Why is that (you might ask)? Welllll, frankly, because my publisher has figured out that Costco makes for a very successful autograph signing location. Trouble is, I'll only have two products on hand--the new book, Tennis Shoes 11: Sorcerers and Seers and the two book sets of the first five books and the second five books. (We'll just break 'em out of their shrink wrap and sign 'em there.) You're certainly welcome to bring in your old collections to be signed as well, but if you want to purchase anything other than the products I've mentioned, you'll have to buy them first at Seagull or DB or just come to a signing for BYU or some other venue. Costco is a very "corporate" entity and they only carry a limited number of titles--only new releases and cream of the crop products. No backlist items. Sure, we tried to talk them into taking other things, like the audio book, but...oh well. I'm just grateful they let us in at all! Traffic will be intense and I hope we sell a lot of books.

Autograph Signings have changed a lot in five years, since I last released a book. But they are also very, very different from what they were TWENTY years ago. When I first started signing books, it was rare that I signed less than a hundred copies at any signing, with lines going out the door. Nowadays, autograph signings can be very lonely events. That's right. I sold more books at an autograph party when I only had three or four titles out than now, when I have seventeen books and audio books. Oddly, I sell more book overall, but autograph parties have changed. And this is not just the case for little ole' me. It's basically the same for ALL LDS authors--top sellers on down. Not sure why this is. Many bookstores don't even do signings anymore. It has something to do with the saturation of LDS authors. There are so many of them now compared to twenty years ago. But more than that, I think Latter-day Saints just aren't as thrilled to meet LDS artists as they once were--that is, unless the artist has somehow "broken out" and become a national success. Part of this attitude might be healthy. What's the big deal? We all take the Sacrament every week just like everybody else, right? So this "we're-all-in-this-kingdom-together" factor in combinatin with the explosion of local LDS artists has more or less dampened the success rate of most in-store autograph signings. For a signing to be a success, traffic has to be naturally (already) high. Very few people will actually get up off their couch or scribble on the calendar a planned event to meet an LDS author. Let me be clear: I'm certainly not complaining about this. The market simply evolves, and we have to evolve with it. But what it means is that most signings will probably be restricted to venues with naturally high traffic, like a Costco.

I know that many of you live outside of Utah. If you would still like an autographed book--ANY book--don't despair. Obviously I can also sign audio books. Just call me and order it from me directly at 801-495-0555. No biggie. As I've said before, this is how I make a living, and it's always an honor to talk to fans!

Stay close to the Lord,

Chris Heimerdinger

Online Interview and Tennis Shoes Update

2010-08-13T16:15:00.001-06:00

September 7th. Have I told everyone that yet???? Well, that's the scheduled release date. I never hold my breath on these things because there are often unforeseen circumstances that delay the release a few days or a few weeks, but as of now, that's the release. For those who have pre-ordered an autographed book, I will likely get the books and audio books on the 7th and start shipping right away. So I would expect them around the 9-11th. Again, that's if there's no unforeseen delays.

Those who wish to receive the book as part of the first wave of orders need to place their preorder right away by going to: Link
Or hey, just call me at 801-495-0555 and we'll place the order directly at the merchant site and bypass the online bureaucracy altogether!

HERE'S THE NEW INFORMATION:

--The audio book includes 15 CDs. 19.5 hours! See, I TOLD everyone it was a long book, and doing the audio unabridged was a major project! My publisher proclaimed that this is the longest fiction novel on audio that they have ever released. I'm just happy that, despite being 3 CDs longer than Kingdoms and Conquerors, they were able to keep the price the same. Four narrators. Tons of characters. Tons of voices. For more info on the narrators, etc., read the update I posted last week.

--The book is 512 pages. That includes all the scholarly chapter notes (which are not included in the audio version) as well as a detailed "Cast of Characters" at the beginning which I hope is helpful to anyone who has ever found it challenging to keep track of all the major and minor fictional and historical figures in the storyline.

Lastly, Seagull Book has released a short online interview about Book 11: Sorcerers and Seers online. Go to:Link My thanks to Tim Costello for posting this information also on Facebook.

The publisher, Covenant Communications, is working on a schedule for autograph parties starting in September. As soon as I get any definitive information on that, I'll pass it along to you. Again I express my deep gratitute to all readers and fans. Only three weeks left! You've waited almost five years. I hope, indeed, that the wait was worth it!

Sorcerers and Seer Cover Revealed--Update

2010-08-01T10:52:00.006-06:00

I'll let fans and followers see it first. Here's the new cover for Tennis Shoes Volume 11: Sorcerers and Seers. I'm not sure it's my favorite cover, but it is my favorite book, so that makes up for it. :)

The book heads to press next week. They say its release is still set in stone for September. Hard to believe they can turn things around that fast now. I still have at least two full days left before I complete the unabridged audio recording. Then Covenant's audio editor has their work cut out for them to meet the deadline.

Fans can still pre-order Volume 11 by going to: Link

The book and audio tape are both discounted. Some fans have asked if the ordering site is secure. Yes, I've paid the "protection" money (sounds like the mob!) to my Merchant Account, but I've left it to my webmaster to post the "Secure Certificate" info, and he has not done so. An error message also shows at the top of the page, but please ignore it. The so-called "error" has nothing to do with the ordering part of the site. Pretty rinky-dink, I know. The best option for some may be to just call me directly. Then we skip the website and go directly to the Merchant Account--no middle man. Many have called to order this way. I've had a few people express reservations about calling the author directly. I guess I understand that. Some would like me to remain like the magician in the back room, too mysterious to actually speak to folks. But, hey, I LIKE talking to fans, and this is how I make a living, so if you don't want to order online, please feel free to call me at 801-495-0555. Leave your number if I'm unavailable and I'll call ASAP.

For the audio recording we settled on four separate narrators. Me, Carlyn Blake, Dave Walker, and Summer Naomi Smart. Summer and Dave were the hardest to nail down. Dave has narrated many Covenant audio tapes, and has traditionally done the part of Marcos for my stuff, but for the last year he has been bogged down in a start-up business. Both he and Summer did this as a personal favor to me, so I am deeply grateful. My sister, Carlyn, as usual is wonderful to work with. She flew down from Boise and reprised her role of Meagan, doing a spectacular job.

So who played Joshua??? Well, I looked into possibly hiring another narrator, but in the end, I decided to read Joshua's part myself. Joshua has some intense stuff in this book, and I wanted it done right. If I'd looked hard enough, I'm sure I could have found the perfect narrator for that part, but who has time? This product will be ON THE SHELVES in a month! It seems like this has all happened very fast, but I got to hand it to my publisher. They pulled out all the stops.

The page count on this book ended up over 500 pages! NOW we're in Harry Potter-length territory. I'm certain fans won't care. They're just getting more adventure for their money. It's very cool, because my initial impression was that they were going to expand the margins and decrease the fontsize so that they could keep the book the same basic length as the previous book, or as we call it in the publishing biz, keep the same "pagination." The best part is, even with this book almost 100 pages longer than any other Tennis Shoes book, they only raised the price a buck. And the audio book, at least for now, is the exact same price as the unabridged audio for "Kingdoms and Conquerors". To accomplish this, there may be some modest, undiscernable time compression and 13 CDs instead of 12. Sure, it means I don't get a "raise" in royalty, but at this point, after making fans wait for so many years, I'm more pleased that the publisher has been price conscious and tried to keep down costs.

As I have said, I personally feel this is the strongest book I've written to date. It tackles so many subjects that no fiction author--LDS or non-LDS--has ever tackled. Great fun. As long as it remains a challenge, it also remains fun, and that's the most important thing for me as an artist.

Pre-Orders For "Sorcerers and Seers"--Audio Recording Underway

2010-07-16T15:31:00.003-06:00

I promised that as soon as I knew the prices for the book and audio book for Tennis Shoes Vol. 11: Sorcerers and Seers that I would make the announcement. So...here it is!

Sorcerers and Seers Book--17.99
Sorcerers and Seers Audio--39.99

I've given them both a discount if you order directly from me. I will also autograph and personalize the books. Orders can be placed by going to Link

I never really liked my own website's ordering system, but it works just fine. You'll see some kind of "error message" at the top that makes you think the site isn't functioning. IGNORE THAT. The ordering works perfectly and we'll try to fix that visual glitch. But if you're worried at all, you can order with a credit card by calling me directly at 1-801-495-0555. Ask for Chris. Yup, you'll have to place the order directly with me.

When you order online there is a box at the end of the ordering process where you can specifically ask who you wish to have the book or audio book autographed to. USE THIS BOX. Also make mention if it's a Christmas present or a birthday gift or whatever.

AUDIO RECORDING UNDERWAY

Yesterday was the first official day that we began the audio recording for Seers and Sorcerers. Fans will be pleased to know that I was miraculously able to cast Summer Naomi Smart as the voice of Steffanie. While I was at it, I also convinced her to portray the part of Jenny. Next week Summer is off to Chicago for a play. She has become a very sucessful stage actress in the Chicago theatre world so I felt incredibly fortunate to have found her visiting Salt Lake City at the right time. For those who aren't aware, Summer played Kerra in the movie "Passage to Zarahemla" and also portrayed Steffanie in the audio recording for "Kingdoms and Conquerors."

The rest of the book will be recorded over the next couple weeks. The plan is still to release the novel and audio in September. It's been a whirlwind summer so far. I can also happily report that I have begun the sequel to the novel Passage to Zarahemla. The title right now is Escape From Zarahemla, but that could change. I hope to finish this book before the end of the year and turn it over to the publisher.

Much work. Never ends. But that's perfectly okay with me. :)

Chris Heimerdinger

Incomplete Knowledge in Past Dispensations

2010-06-30T12:14:00.025-06:00

Guest post by Nathan Richardson

Disclaimer: This article expresses some ideas and perspectives that are not necessarily the opinions of Chris Heimerdinger. Heck, they're not even necessarily my hard-and-fast opinions; they're just an interesting possibility to consider. And I welcome any thoughts, responses, or further ideas that readers might have on the subject.
__________________________________________________
I first read book 1 of the Tennis Shoes series when I was about 12 years old. One of the many interesting ideas that I vividly remember gleaning from that first reading came during a conversation between our heroes, Jim and Garth, and the prophet Helaman:

Garth grew enthusiastic, and Helaman hung on every word. He asked many questions. ... They got into a doctrinal conversation and Garth mentioned the three degrees of glory in heaven and baptism for the dead. Helaman interrupted Garth.

"You haven't taught these doctrines to my people, have you?" Helaman's voice was very stern.

"No," Garth said, hoping he hadn't said something that would get him into trouble.

"These things have been revealed to many prophets," Helaman admitted, "but we do not write them. The people are not ready to receive them. Many would rebel at such knowledge and the work in our day would be crippled. I'm glad to see that a time will come when all men may know and ponder such truths. But for now, I would urge you to keep these mysteries in your heart."

Mysteries? I'd known about the three degrees of glory all my life. Baptism for the dead was taught almost as much as baptism for the living. It was a curious change of policy indeed.¹

This idea fascinated me, and it was the first time I'd ever considered it—that perhaps the peoples of past dispensations were unaware of certain doctrines that we take for granted today as common knowledge. For example, while prophets were likely privileged to have a greater knowledge of revealed truth, perhaps your average Nephite did not know that after the Judgment there are three degrees of glory or conditions that people can end up in (as opposed to just heaven or hell), or that necessary ordinances can be provided after death for those who never heard the gospel (as opposed to limiting salvation to only those who believe and are baptized while they're alive).

It was an intriguing idea to think about. Even though God has had prophets and a covenant people in all ages of earth's history, maybe he hasn't always revealed the same amount of information to each group. While it's nice to imagine the Nephites as carbon copies of 21st century Latter-day Saints, only with sandals and headbands instead of tennis shoes and baseball caps, there might have been more doctrinal differences than we sometimes suppose. Not doctrinal conflicts or inconsistencies—just a lesser degree of revealed knowledge on certain subjects beyond the basic doctrines needed to choose salvation.

Joseph Smith on the Latter-day Fullness

I later realized that this idea shouldn't surprise us. Joseph Smith as much as says so in several statements available in Church publications. Consider the following prophetic quotes:

It is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. (D&C 128:18)
__________
Truly this is a day long to be remembered by the Saints of the last days,—... a day in which God has begun to make manifest and set in order in His Church those things which have been, and those things which the ancient prophets and wise men desired to see but died without beholding them; a day in which those things begin to be made manifest, which have been hid from before the foundation of the world, and which Jehovah has promised should be made known in His own due time unto His servants.
__________
The dispensation of the fullness of times will bring to light the things that have been revealed in all former dispensations; also other things that have not been before revealed. He shall send Elijah, the Prophet, etc., and restore all things in Christ.²

Upon hearing these quotes for the first time, I was intrigued that, not only is it a possibility that past groups of God's covenant people were unaware of some doctrines that today we consider basic, but Joseph Smith specifically says they didn't know all the doctrines that have been revealed in modern times.

The Example of Hell

Mack C. Sterling, an LDS surgeon from Michigan, wrote two articles published by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute at BYU that touch on this idea. In particular, he shows how understanding this idea can help us understand the Book of Mormon better. He points out that sometimes Latter-day Saints "prefer to see the Nephite prophets (in fact all prophets) as having precisely the same (complete) understanding of the plan of salvation as Joseph Smith." In light of Joseph Smith's words above, it's easy to see why Brother Sterling has no problem "concluding simply that the Book of Mormon prophets received less revelation about hell, indeed about the plan of salvation in general, than Joseph Smith did."³

Brother Sterling further explores the Nephites' understanding of hell in another article, "The Way of Life and the Way of Death in the Book of Mormon." He points out what modern books of scripture teach about the relationship between repentance and death.

Book of Mormon prophets consistently talk of death being the point at which a person can do no further repenting, and their eternal fate is sealed (e.g., Alma 34:32–34; 3 Nephi 27:33; Mosiah 16:12; Jacob 6:5–7). They compare repenting to daily labors that must be done while the sun shines, and death to a "night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed" (Alma 34:33).

In contrast, in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord revealed to modern prophets the doctrine of work for the dead. He tells us that His messengers have been assigned to "carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, ... [and] thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets ... that they might ... live according to God in the spirit" (D&C 138:30, 32, 34). Thus, we know today that it is possible for some of the labor of repentance to be performed after death (though of course, prophets have warned us not to be complacent, since doing so can affect how glorious and joyful a kingdom we inherit).

Brother Sterling acknowledges, "Some readers may be disturbed by allusions in this paper to apparent contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants,"⁴ and goes on to show that they are not really contradictions. One way of resolving them is to say that the various Book of Mormon prophets who said there is no repenting after death were talking to members of the covenant. For people who've had in this life a fair chance to receive, understand, and accept the gospel, death really is the "night of darkness" when no amount of repentance will make up for the changes we should have made in this life.

Brother Sterling, however, suggests another way of resolving them—by just allowing for the possibility that the Nephites had a simpler understanding of the plan of salvation. His proposes, for example, that they knew about the doctrine of Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. But they did not know some of the details of God's merciful Plan B and Plan C for some of His children. The Nephites had plenty enough gospel knowledge to be accountable and to choose salvation, but they had a few unanswered questions about what happens to people who've never heard the gospel.

Brother Sterling emphasizes, "It is imperative to realize that the Book of Mormon model is not "wrong." The Book of Mormon paradigm is simply less detailed or less complete on some issues compared with information in the Doctrine and Covenants.

The Fulness v. The Amazing Further Details

Understanding Joseph Smith's teaching about progressive revelation can also be useful in answering some conundrums (which some people try to use as criticisms) regarding restoration scripture. Occasionally someone will ask why the introduction to the Book of Mormon says that it "contains, as does the Bible, the fulness of the everlasting gospel" if the Book of Mormon doesn't mention important doctrines like work for the dead or eternal marriage. After all, is not eternal marriage part of the "fulness of the gospel"?

Technically, at least from a linguistic point of view, the answer is no. Many LDS writers have pointed out that "the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of the gospel, not the fullness of gospel doctrine."⁵ That is, even though nowadays we often use the word "gospel" as a synonym for "all the teachings the Lord has ever revealed through his prophets about the plan of salvation," that's not how the scriptures use the word. Passages like 3 Ne. 27:13–19 clarify that "the gospel—while used in this context—does not refer to every teaching of the LDS Church."⁶ Rather, "the primary message of the gospel, the 'good news' of Jesus Christ, is that he has atoned for our sins and prepared a way for us to come back into the presence of the Father. This is the message of the Book of Mormon."⁷

Monte S. Nyman explains that once we understand what "gospel" does and doesn't mean, it resolves this question of how we can say the Nephites had the fulness of the gospel. "The gospel as defined in the scriptures outlines the plan for mankind to return to the celestial kingdom. It does not specify how mankind receives exaltation within the celestial kingdom [such as the fact that] the ordinances and blessings of the temple are necessary."⁸

The Example of Eternal Marriage

Interestingly, in Brother Nyman's article he suggests, "Although the Book of Mormon does not teach this important doctrine, ... the knowledge and practice of eternal marriage was had among the Nephites. ... Mormon, under the inspiration of the Lord, chose to leave this teaching to be revealed in the latter-days."⁸ This is what I had always assumed as a youth when certain doctrines seemed to be absent from the Bible or Book of Mormon—that the authors knew about them, but they either were commanded to not record it, or their writings were altered or lost through later apostasy.

This explanation is definitely true in many cases. For example, many modern scholars (even Christian ones) suppose that in earlier times, prophets like Enoch or Abraham did not know about or practice baptism, because the Bible does not clearly record them knowing about or practicing baptism. (By the way, this conclusion can be used to support the increasingly-held idea that baptism is not necessary for salvation). But we know from modern revelation that Adam was baptized (Moses 6:64–65) and taught it to his children (Moses 7:1). The most likely explanation for why that information is not found in Genesis chapters 1–11 is that it was lost through apostasy and alteration of the scriptures as they were transmitted over time.

When it comes to eternal marriage, this explanation (that Nephites knew about it but didn't record it) is certainly an interesting possibility. However, I wonder if an equally probable explanation is that the Nephites simply did not know about eternal marriage. I think that either explanation answers the question, and neither one should really give us heartburn. We should be perfectly comfortable with the possibility that Captain Moroni didn't know he could be married to his wife forever (I bet he was overjoyed when he found out!). After all, one of the cornerstones of the restored gospel is that God "will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (AofF 9).

Conclusion

Joseph Smith's teaching on this subject has led me to ponder what specific details might not have been known in past dispensations. What doctrines might a faithful Jaredite farmer never have supposed? What truths might a believing Jewish caravaneer have been unaware of? Here are some possibilities I've considered:

God has a body
The premortal life
Eternal marriage
Work for the dead
Three degrees of glory
Divine potential
Heavenly Mother

By no means do I have a definite answer to this question, but isn't it interesting to think about?

I find fascinating the idea that faithful members of God's covenant people in past dispensations knew the fulness of the gospel but nevertheless may have been unaware of many doctrines that we take for granted today—doctrines considered so basic that they are published in children's Primary manuals and taught to non-members just beginning to learn about the Church.

I personally find this idea very encouraging. For one thing, it means we don't have to be incredibly knowledgeable to be saved. It's nice to know that even though I lack vast amounts of knowledge regarding the details of God's plan which only He knows, and even though I will die with hundreds of yet-unanswered questions about how it all works, none of that prevents me from accepting the Savior's atonement and being able to repent and live with him again.

I'm not saying we don't have to act on the knowledge we have in the latter days, such as the need for temple sealings. Everyone is accountable for what they know. I'm also very grateful to know some of the powerful and amazing doctrines that have been restored in the last days, and knowing them often provides extra motivation to keep the commandments or extra insight into the path my life takes. But the basic plan of faith, repentance, and salvation is and always has been available to any person who chooses to enter God's covenant, regardless of whether they lived in a dispensation and time when prophets preached more detailed doctrines.
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About the Author

Nathan confesses he has been a fan of the Tennis Shoes series since the first book was published. He even had a dream once about Gidgiddonihah and Marcos escaping from some wicked gladiators. Oh yeah, and he co-authors an LDS blog called LDSPhilosopher.com.

Notes

1. Chris Heimerdinger, Tennis Shoes among the Nephites (American Fork, UT: Covenant Communications, 1989), pp. 134–35.

2. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (SLC: LDS Church, 2007), ch. 44, pp. 507–16.

3. Mack C. Sterling, "Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium," FARMS Review, v5 n1, pp. 290–304; a review of Bruce A. Van Orden and Brent L. Top, Doctrines of the Book of Mormon: The 1991 Sperry Symposium (Provo, UT: Maxwell Institute, 1993).

4. Mack C. Sterling, "The Way of Life and the Way of Death in the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies (Provo, UT: Maxwell Institute, 1997), v6 n2, pp. 152–204.

5. W. John Walsh, "Does the Book of Mormon Teach the 'Fulness of the Gospel'?" LightPlanet.com.

6. "Book of Mormon/Contains the fulness of the gospel, FAIR Wiki, fairmormon.org, accessed 30 Jun. 2010.

7. Michael B. Parker, "The Book of Mormon and the Fulness of the Gospel," Foundation for Apologetic Information Research, fairlds.org.

8. “Questions and Answers,” Tambuli, Jul. 1984, pp. 6–10.

Comments on Mesoamerica Vs. Great Lakes

2010-06-01T12:52:00.011-06:00

The following comments were made to some articles published by Michael De Groote in Mormon Times. Here is a link to read the articles:
Link

Here is a reply that I posted:

While I admire the "neutrality" that De Groote's article takes, and its attempts to offer unbiased lists of pros and cons with regard to each theory, the article is negligent with regard to theories regarding Mesoamerica, especially when it tries to pin all such theories on John Sorenson. There were many scholars before John Sorenson, and there are many after John Sorenson who have contributed to an extensive literature of the Limited Tehuatepec Theory. Many of these scholars take issue with some of John Sorenson's ideas and have offered their independent field research completely unrelated to Sorenson. However, these researchers still confidently place Book of Mormon geography in and around the Tehuantepec Isthmus. To ignore that extensive body of literature and infer that Dr. Sorenson is the preeminent authority on the Mesoamerican model acheives a kind of third objective of De Groote, which may be his true objective.

That objective seems to be "Who cares! Stop arguing! Your salvation, and the progress of the Kingdom, depends on neither of these models, and does not depend upon scientific research at all!"

I think most researchers who pursue these studies are already fully aware of that philosophy, and to suggest that we aren't may be somewhat patronizing. We do not pursue such studies to prove our religion. We do it simply because it's fascinating. It's fun. We feel driven to pursue it. And the cumulative effect upon us spiritually, as individual saints, is that we are motivated to dig into the verses of the Book of Mormon in a way that gives us an appreciation that we feel we could not get any other way. We do it for the same reason that George Mallory climbed mountains--"Because it's there!"

De Groote's positives and negatives regarding Mesoamerica are wholly inadequate. I cannot speak to whether he uses the same broad brushstrokes when it comes to the "Heartland" model. But the snippets he offers, particularly on the "weaknesses" of the Mesoamerica model, suggest a high level of unfamiliarity with the subject that he addresses.

1. Metals. First he says that Sorenson has hundreds of examples of smelted metals, but then says that most archeologists would dismiss them??? This is a gross oversimplication of Sorenson's statements on this matter on both sides of the spectrum. Many archeologists do not ignore these findings, and in fact have published about and acknowledged the same. I have personally seen striking examples of Mesoamerican metal tools in Mesoamerican museums at Tres Zapotes, Monte Alban, and other locations. Read the following article for an insightful perspective on gold and gold plates in Mesoamerica. Link

2. Directions. Many noted Mesoamerican scholars who support the Tehuantepec model have presented perspectives that explain away any apparent conflicts on this subject. This almost causes me to wonder if Brother De Groote discovered this weakness from a bullet list presented at a Heartland seminar, because those familiar with the issue understand the many perspectives and do not see this as a debilitating weakness or conflict. If anything, it reveals a healthy ongoing debate among the supporters of Book of Mormon geography in Mesoamerica. Which causes me to wonder...is it the Heartland people who emphasize John Sorenson as the "Father" of Book of Mormon geography in Mesoamerica? Now that I read such an idea couched in the way it is in De Groote's article, I suspect that this may be true. Well, it's obviously much easier to launch a battle against the arguments of one guy, right? Patently unfair and misleading in this context. But easier.

3. Statements of Joseph Smith. The short sentence provided to describe this "weakness" is fair enough, but the conflict itself is one that has been trumpeted by the Heartland people, and because of this the onus has been upon them to explain such statements away. Such efforts appear seriously flawed, as explained by Dr. John Lund in a recent BMAF presentation, which again leads me to believe that this "weakness" comes from a bullet list provided by those espousing the Heartland model. The source of such a bullet list becomes important on some level because it indicates that in De Groote's efforts to present his "neutral and unbiased" review of both camps, he may be far more familiar with the literature of one camp than the other.

4. Transporting gold plates. The statement associated with this "weakness" is so silly that I resist even dignifying it with a rebuttal. It is obviously a Heartland bullet point and utterly ignorant of modes and methods of Mesoamerican trade and travel. It reminds me of a statement I heard recently from an individual who was trying to build a case for a pet theory of his that puts the Hill Cumorah (one different than El Cerro Vigia) somewhere near Tampico, Mexico on the basis that such a location contains extensive outcroppings of volcanic obsidian, and obviously Mormon and his armies would have needed vast supplies of obsidian in order to conduct a battle, right? If this were a valid point, we would all be left scratching our heads wondering how ancient Mesoamericans fought ANY battles anywhere except near a volcanic outcropping. Such a statement is unaware of the fact that no other commodity was more widely traded in Mesoamerica than obsidian, except perhaps salt. By the way, these commodities in and of themselves are pretty heavy, and the various trade syndicates, like the Aztec Pochteca, seemed to have no trouble toting such heavy things for hundreds and possibly even thousands of miles. The examples of items as heavy or heavier than 50 or 60 pounds being discovered hundreds of miles from their locataion of origin across North and South America are so replete that, again, the argument is hardly worthy of a rebuttal.

Michael De Groote's articles are probably noteworthy to some because of the public contention that exists between the various camps. My personal gauge that such may have gotten out of hand has to be that I have heard about this contention from members of my own home Ward--people who previously had no particular interest in the subject. I agree that the emotional investment that some enthusiasts have in their preferred model may be over the top. (A lot of it seems driven by money and profits!) But any effort to quell the contention cannot paint in such broad strokes and, in essence, accuse the whole lot of trained researchers as being ridiculous because such individuals use or view these studies as hallmarks or legitimizers of their faith. Such is not true. I personally do not see the entire study of Book of Mormon goegraphy as a "movement" of any kind that is going to "sweep over" anyone. My personal belief is that the Lord has left this category "unrevealed" because it inspires enthusiasts like me to delve into studies of the Book of Mormon as a way of celebrating its power and complexity--again--"because it's there!"

Writers must be careful not to present a perspective that, in essense, places those who dismiss and trivialize Book of Mormon geography on a lofitier pedestal than those who become caught up in such studies and debates. Not only would such a perspective dwarf or stunt further research into these fields and promote a dismissal of the lifetime efforts of worthy scholars throughout the last century, but it would, in fact, create a THIRD contender in the debate--those who insist that ignoring the entire subject, while awaiting confirmation from the Spirit or a revelation from our beloved Prophet, are somehow superior to the rest.

A better question, to me, is to ask why the Lord has NOT revealed the anwers to this subject. I think the answer to that question may be fairly simple. The Lord, in modern times, has given us incredible tools: science, computers, satellite technology, DNA research--you name it! I think He wants to see what we do with them. I suspect He deliberately gave us a puzzle to solve. How we go about solving that puzzle says a lot about the spiritual maturity of an individual, but it also says much about the spiritual health of the Lord's Kingdom as as whole.

(c) Copyright 2010, Chris Heimerdinger

"Sorcerers and Seers" Delivered to Publisher

2010-05-26T16:57:00.001-06:00

Just a quick announcement that the "polishing" phase of Book 11 in the Tennis Shoes Adventure Series, Sorcerers and Seers, has been completed to the point that last night around 3:00 AM I emailed it electronically to the publisher. I guess technically that would mean I finished it early this morning, preventing my wife from getting any sleep for half the night.

What a ride this project has been! Only as I sat down and read this book from start to finish, making only minor changes and improvements, was I able to appreciate the full spectrum of what has been created. Nothing gives me greater pleasure as an artist than to think I am going to publish something ground-breaking. It's hard to believe, but NO ONE has ever presented in a fictional form anything related to the battle at the Hill Cumorah. No doubt because the issues and millieu surrouding this event are so complex that the very idea is daunting to the point that an artist might prefer taking up residence in a padded room and flicking his fingers against his lips while making a babbling sound.

In addition, I was able to discuss details related to Jerusalem and the last week in the life of Christ which no fiction writer has ever tackled. I also hope I've done a lot to shed light on the historical dynamics related to the Jaredites during the time period of King Omer and Akish. Yes, all this stuff is encapsulated inside an adventure novel that deals with time travel and other fantastical concepts, but the core research and history is all there. And I hope it offers readers some mind-expanding concepts and perspectives about the Gospel and the eternities that no one has ever thought about before. The goal, as always, is to draw people closer to the Savior, the Gospel, and the Book of Mormon. Only my readers can confirm for me if such efforts were successful, but this was certainly my goal.

The publisher has not yet begun the process of editing. (I don't even know if they've begun the process of reading it!) It may be that they send me back to the drawing board on an item or two (as frequently happens with all submitted novels) but as of now the publisher's plan is to release the book this fall--September, if I understood them correctly. Things can change, but as of now, that's the intent.

I still have to write an extensive "Cast of Characters" list for this book that will help readers re-acclimate to the Tennis Shoes world if they haven't read any books in the series for a while. And of course I have to undergo the grueling task of casting narrators and reading the book for release in audio form.

The point is, I like this book. Genuinely. Hey, why would anyone expect the author to say anything different, right? But trust me. I know when something doesn't work. And now and then as I was reading my own story I was honestly entertained and able to mentally "remove myself" from the creation process. I can only do that for short snatches of time, but when I found myself drawn into this, I was thoroughly enthralled and cheering for the characters. Get ready for Hamira. She's a Jaredite warrioress, and one of the fiestiest characters I've ever created.

As I said in my last post, there will be a Volume 12. This latest book does indeed leave many plot elements hanging. But certain long-standing plot points are also neatly resolved. All in all, I hope it's an exciting ride that will leave readers breathless and take them to places--physically, emotionally, and spiritually--that they've never been before.

As soon as everything is completed with Sorcerers and Seers as far as the editing and the audio book, etc., I'll dive right into a sequel to Passage to Zarahemla. I'm not quite sure of the title of that one yet. It will either be Escape from Zarahemla or The Warrior From Zarahemla. The project shouldn't take as long as a regular Tennis Shoes novel. My guess is that by the end of the summer I'll dive back into the world of Jim and Apollus and Meagan and Gidgiddonihah and Harry, etc. NO MORE FIVE YEAR BREAKS!

Also, as soon as I know the price of Sorcerers and Seers, I'll make it possible for people to order autographed copies of the novel, either from Heimerrecords.com or just by contacting me directly. I'll also make people aware of publicity events that my publisher might sponsor and anything else that comes my way.

Again, I feel I should express my deepest, sincerest apologies to fans who have waited SO LONG for this book. As well as my eternal gratitude to those who have done so patiently and who remain just as excited as ever to see where the epic will take them next.

So in conclusion . . . the book is here! It's done! And it will soon be in your hands. Thanks again for your fanship and readership.

Sorcerers and Seers: First Draft Completed

2010-05-07T01:05:00.002-06:00

Yes, today was a landmark day. I just finished the first draft of the novel Tennis Shoes Adventure Series, Book 11: Sorcerers and Seers. Don't get too fixated on whether the word "Sorcerers" comes first or "Seers." My publisher is still toying with that. Maybe they'll insist on another title altogether. Never can tell.

In any case, I just wanted to report that there is no greater feeling for an author than finishing up a book. Especially a book of this caliber and magnitude. The research was dizzying. The plot is mind-boggling. The book's length is actually 30,000 words longer than any book I have ever written. That means that it's 30,000 words longer than Kingdoms and Conquerors. But not so fast. I wouldn't take any initial report of the book's length too seriously. I still have several weeks of polishing on this puppy before I turn it over to the publisher. Usually a book ends up shrinking a bit during that process. But with all the polishing that I've done along the way I wouldn't expect it to shrink too much. This means the book will be one-fifth thicker than my previous "Tennis Shoes" volume. Yeah, so everyone is going to get one-fifth more story and suspense and action than they've gotten from any other TS adventure. Do I expect this to moderate the complaints about leaving characters in various binds and predicaments and not getting the next volume out quickly enough? Absolutely not. My readers are welcome to haunt me to the high heavens. The only thing worse than anxious readers is silent readers who don't care one way or the other. So feel free to complain, to vex, to torment, and to keep me on my toes and writing the next volume as swiftly as possible.

So I already know what everyone is wondering: When will the book be on the shelves? This Fall. That's the best estimate I can give you. And even that's just my best estimate. I gave the publisher all my suggestions for a cover months ago. I'm hoping it will involve a mammoth motiff. I don't care if its an entire mammoth, just the head, or even just a tusk. But mammoths are a fairly important part of this story. So the image seems appropriate. We'll see how the cover artists at Covenant end up executing such a concept. Maybe they'll go a completely different direction. Again, you never can tell.

I just wanted to take a moment at this late hour and revel in a massive feat accomplished. It's been five long years since I've released a "Tennis Shoes" novel. It seems like a lifetime ago. SEVERAL lifetimes ago. I know that many readers have born this burden with incredible patience. Some with not-so-incredible patience. But that's okay too—so long as you haven't given up on me. Many will feel a need to go back and re-read Volume 10 before diving into Volume 11. Maybe you'll feel a need to re-read the whole series! (I know that recently on family trips I've offered that opportunity to my own children, and I've been surprised at how many details I've forgotten!) To aid readers with the challenge of re-acclimating to the story I am including in this newest volume an exhaustive list of characters—at least of the characters who are mentioned in Sorcerers and Seers. That way it'll be easier to keep track of all the crazy Hebrew, Nephite, Roman, and Jaredite names—to say nothing of keeping track of all the modern characters, many of whom have been a big part of the story since the beginning. This quiet time-travel tale has become an epic unlike anything I could have ever imagined. (Okay, it was never that "quiet.)" But the challenge has been so indescribably rewarding. I've had the opportunity to explore subjects that no novelist has ever dared to explore. Did you realize this is the very first attempt ever to dramatize the setting for the battle of Cumorah? And yet I'm most proud of the way I've tackled events surrounding the last week in the life of the Savior. The moment I lose the courage to explore those kinds of things, I suppose it's time to hang up my keyboard (so to speak) and find another career.

Everyone already knows that this is not the end of the series, right? There will definitely be a Volume 12, tentatively entitled Thorns of Glory. So does Volume 11 leave the reader hanging? You betcha. Even the final sentence will drive readers nuts. Hey, it just wouldn't be a "Tennis Shoes" novel if it did anything less. But does Sorcerers and Seers contain some of most intense scenes and sequences I've ever written? Man, I sure hope so. I know many scenes were a bear to design and incorporate. And as for the cliffhanger thing, just remember my promise: I will be diving almost immediately into Volume 12. No five-year breaks. No in-between movie projects. I may spend part of the summer doing a sequel to Passage to Zarahemla, but this will be a breeze compared to the complexities of a Tennis Shoes volume. And there will a few surprises in all of these novels that I hope will thrill readers to the core.

I'm just so happy—SOOOOO happy!—to finally have it done.

ETHER AND CORIANTUMR: A Legacy of Inspiration, Kingship, and Conflict

2010-02-20T18:11:00.027-07:00

(Much of the following article was inspired by conversations with Dr. Lawrence Poulsen, PhD. in February, 2010. If you find any idea particularly intriguing, it probably came from him.) :)

Most Latter-day Saints don't waste much effort seeking intellectual evidences of their religion. Personal evidence--spiritual evidence--is enough. But if intellectual evidence were an important criteria of the Restored Gospel, and skeptics were faced with providing sound, sensible explanations as to how its doctrines and scriptures were conceived, the Book of Ether would be one of the more striking evidences.

Highlighting the Book of Ether, of course, does not undervalue the dynamic character of the entire Book of Mormon. But that 15-chapter segment commonly called, simply, Ether, presents an astonishing demonstration of complexity and depth that, by itself, withstands intense intellectual scrutiny. Had it been created by a fiction author with the intent of duping the human race for the remainder of world history, it might qualify as the most imaginative 15 chapters ever composed. It's only competition may be other segments of the Book of Mormon.

The genius of the Book of Ether is further emphasized when compared to the rest of the Book of Mormon text—not because the Book of Ether is superior in spiritual content, but because its literary style is so unique that an honest-minded investigator—even if they remained a skeptic—must dismiss the possibility that the Book of Mormon had a single author. The Book of Ether forces the proposition that, at the very least, a second author was involved. These 15 chapters are too original, too distinct from the rest of the text.

Many readers also perceive an obvious stylistic diversity from 2 Nephi to Jacob. Tedious wordprint studies conducted by professional statisticians at Berkeley, CA—including non-Latter-day Saints—show the unlikelihood that sections of the Book of Mormon attributed to Nephi are authored by the same individual who wrote sections attributed to Alma as high as 99.997% , i.e., an improbability of 1.3 x 10-14 (Hilton, John L., "On Verifying Wordprint Studies: Book of Mormon Authorship", BYU Studies 30/3 (1990): 89—108).

However, the need for scientists and statisticians is unnecessary when making such comparisons with the Book of Ether. An honest investigator should conclude, from common sense alone, that the Book of Ether was penned by a different author, eliminating any intellectual conclusion that Joseph Smith alone created this volume. In fairness, some Book of Mormon detractors are also resigned to a multi-author scenario (Tucker, Pomeroy, Origin, Rise, and Progress of Mormonism, 1867, pg. 75; Jockers, Witten, and Criddle, Reassessing Authorship of the Book of Mormon, Literary and Linguistic Computing 23:4, Dec. 2008, 465-491). Even if no compelling evidence has been presented to support such an explanation, the "multiple authors" explanation seems to be a more intelligent and fair-minded theory as to Book of Mormon origins.

Of course, such exercises in logic are meaningless for those of us who have obtained by revelation a confirmation of the volume's veracity. But for those like me who find themselves in a perpetual state of bemusement wondering how it is that most Earthlings fail to see or perceive the Book of Mormon as an indominable testament of God's eternal Voice and immeasurable love, such contemplations remain ongoing.

Even habitual Book of Mormon readers and believers may miss the countless jewels and gems of the Book of Ether. Some may view much of it similarly to the war chapters of Alma—i.e., as a dull chronicling of events with limited spiritual value; merely chapter after chapter of synopsized history, kingly successions, rebellions, and spiritual retrenchments along with an unusual litany of personal and place names. The more impatient reader might find such information irrelevant compared to the rich doctrinal sermons of other sections of the Book of Mormon. Still, I believe the more patient and introspective reader will find Ether's record no less priceless or instructive. Most agree that the Lord, in guiding His prophets, Mormon and Moroni, would not have included irrelevant material in this spiritual volume. However, perceiving the relevance of some parts of the Book of Ether may take a bit more effort than usual. Gratefully, the reward for such efforts is that the entire volume takes on greater depth and meaning—spiritually, anthropologically, sociologically, and in many other categories.

The greater portion of this blog will contemplate the history of the Jaredites from the perspective of the Nephites and their contemporaries. Herein, I believe, lies the foundation of Ether's overwhelming influence and impact on world history. The first mention of the Jaredites--a kingdom more ancient than the Nephites and a nation that met with terrible destruction--is found in the short Book of Omni from the Small Plates of Nephi. As a reminder, the Small Plates are a record kept exclusively by Nephi and his direct lineage descendants. Theoretically, such a record might have continued uninterrupted for a thousand years. But when a certain descendant named Amaleki failed to produce progeny, he wisely turned the record over to his current monarch, King Benjamin of Zarahemla. Amaleki believed King Benjamin was a "just man" and trusted him to keep these records safe (Omni 1:25).

The words of Amaleki (which only comprise the latter portion of the Book of Omni) are brief, but highly complex. In the course of 18 verses Amaleki introduces us to not just one group or tribe heretofore unmentioned, but two. Before Amaleki mentions the Jaredites (or, in Amaleki's words, the "people of Coriantumr"), he speaks of another clan called the "people of Zarahemla." This group reputedly crossed the Atlantic Ocean at about the same time that Lehi crossed the Pacific. Zarahemla's people proclaimed themselves descendents of King Zedekiah of Old-world Jerusalem by way of a Judean prince named Mulek. For this reason the people of Zarahemla are sometimes called Mulekites. However, the term is sometimes viewed as misleading because the people of Zarahemla appear to have had a much wider genetic background than merely being descendants of Mulek. It may be wider than even Jews and Jaredites. The Jews were not shipbuildiers. Many have long proposed that another Mediterranean people, possibly Phoenicians or Greeks, aided Mulek in his escape from the Babylonian conquerors. The term "Mulekite" is not found in the Book of Mormon. It is used in this article for simplicity and convenience, but only with the understanding that it probably has the same broad and widely-inclusive definition that Mormon applied to terms like "Lamanite" and "Nephite" (see Jacob 1:13, Morm. 1:8).

What's immediately curious about the Mulekites is their sudden, voluntary subservience to the Nephites and King Mosiah (who I will refer to as Mosiah I). Apparently King Mosiah I and his Nephite followers—who were themselves refugees and outcasts from a place that had been their home for more than 400 years—found the Mulekites in a state of political and social disarray. Zarahemla himself is never referred to as a king. He appears to be a kind of "community representative" with considerable respect among his kinsmen. The scripture reveals that the Mulekites had not kept records and had suffered numerous wars, upheavals, and corruptions of doctrine (Omni 1:17). Therefore Zarahemla and his people embraced the Nephite arrival with "great rejoicing" (Omni 1:14). Mosiah I began offering formal instruction in the Nephite language (Omni 1:18), and the indiginous population supported the idea that Mosiah should become their political and spiritual leader (Omni 1:12).

The question is why? Why would any politically independent people so readily accept a newly-arrived foreign king? The answer seems to be records. Written records. Specifically mentioned are the Plates of Brass (Omni 1:14). Although Zarahemla could only offer a genealogy of his fathers according to tradition and memory (Omni 1:18), Mosiah could offer tangible documents, even records etched on metal plates. Apparently this was the single most influential factor behind the Mulekites embracing Mosiah and the Nephites as their political and cultural superiors.

However, later in the Book of Mormon, it appears that not all of the Mulekites supported Nephite rule. This seems to be demonstrated by their many rebellions, particularly rebellions inspired by those who supported kings over and above the "rule of law" and the system of chief judges and lesser judges established by King Mosiah II (see the index of the Book of Mormon and references to "king-men" and "dissenters" for numerous examples of these internal conflicts).

If nothing else, the example of what happened with Mosiah I and the people of Zarahemla demonstrates the power inherent in possessing permanent, accurate records. However, we may also find within the Book of Omni the first seeds of later conflicts that would inevitably provoke the Mulekites to reassert their political authority.

In the days of King Mosiah I a large engraved stone was brought to him. Amaleki tells us that King Mosiah I translated this stelae by the gift and power of God (Omni 1:20). The source of this stone is not revealed, but we may assume that it was written by Mulekites who lived in the same region as the last surviving Jaredite king, Coriantumr.

Coriantumr, after slaying his chief rival, Shiz, at the Hill Ramah/Cumorah was later discovered by the people of Zarahemla. Coriantumr then dwelt among this people for the space of nine moons (Omni 1:21). At the end of Ether's record, Ether references a command from God that he "go forth" and witness that the "words of the Lord had all been fulfilled (Eth. 15:33)." These words being referred to consititue a warning that Ether had delivered to Coriantumr wherein the king was told that "if he would repent...the Lord would give unto him his kingdom and spare his people--Otherwise they should be destroyed, and all his household save it were himself" and that he would live to see "another people receiving the land for their inheritance (Ether 13:20-21)." Well, Coriantumr did not heed the Lord's warning. He did not repent. So there toward the end, Ether was commanded to follow Coriantumr so that he might witness that all the Lord's words concerning Coriantumr were fulfilled. We are not told if Ether was Coriantumr's traveling companion or whether he followed Coriantumr in secret, but the Lord's assignment to Ether is clear: he was to witness Coriantumr's actions up to and until the day Coriantumr died and affirm in writing that the Lord's words had been fulfilled.

It can be presumed that the region where Coriantumr died was also the area where Ether deposited his record, that is, the 24 gold plates. This record was first translated by Mosiah II, but perhaps not widely distributed until the days of Helaman, son of Alma. Alma commanded Helaman to distribute the contents and lessons of the 24 gold plates to his people, the Nephites--all but those sections outlining the secret oaths and combinations of the wicked (see Alma 37:21-30). We assume Helaman fulfilled this command, but no specific mention of the record of Ether is made again until Moroni is faced with the daunting task of condensing Ether's words by at least 99 percent for inclusion upon the plates created by his father, Mormon (see Ether 15:33).

The 24 gold plates were initially discovered by an expedition of Nephites who hailed from an isolated Nephite community in the land of Nephi. The community was unique in its own right, mostly because it was smack in the middle of territory dominated by Lamanites. A certain king among these Nephites named Limhi sent an expedition of forty-three men to search out the land of Zarahemla. Limhi's intentions were to entreat his kinsmen to come to their aid against their city's oppressive Lamanite taskmasters. But instead of Zarahemla, Limhi's expedition traveled "among a land of many waters" and found crumbling buildings, human bones, and cankering swords (Mosiah 8:7-11, 21:25-28). In addition, they found Ether's 24 gold plates—the very plates Ether deposited shortly after the death of Coriantumr, or about two-hundred and fifty years prior to the expedition's arrival (Ether 15:33).

Again, we should be reminded, the stone stelae that Mosiah I translated and Ether's 24 gold plates are two separate documents. However, they appear to record many of the same events in Jaredite history. Book of Mormon references appear to support the notion that the stone stelae translated by Mosiah I was initially created and etched by the people of Zarahemla around 300-400 B.C., or several hundred years before Mosiah I's migration to Zarahemla. This would have also been prior to when a precipitous decline in literacy took place among the Mulekite populace. In other words, the stone was etched before the language of the people of Zarahemla became corrupted and unreadable. This presumption is based upon the Book of Omni and the stelae's emphasis upon the story of Coriantumr and his nine-month sojourn among the Mulekite's ancestors. It seems very unlikely that the stone would have been carved by Ether. After all, he'd already recorded the Jaredite's history upon plates. Likewise, it seems unlikely that it would have been written by King Coriantumr. Stone engraving is a specialized skill that a warrior-king like Coriantumr in all likelihood did not possess. Therefore, it seems most plausible that it would have been composed in the original, uncorrupted language of the people of Zarahemla (possibly at Coriantumr's dictation).

It also seems unlikely that the stone tablet was created or etched in the environs of Zarahemla where it eventually came into the hands of Mosiah I. More likely, it was carved in the region where Coriantumr had dwelled for nine moons. This was apparently the same area where Ether deposited the 24 gold plates. So where was this region?

As we recall, the Lord commanded Ether to "Go forth" and witness the fulfillment of the Lord's words to Coriantumr (Eth. 15:32). Therefore, we must presume that Ether gathered up his 24 plates, left the region of Ramah/Cumorah, and followed King Coriantumr, somehow observing first-hand the moment when the Jaredite king was "discovered" by the people of Zarahemla. No doubt Ether remained nearby until Coriantumr's death. After Coriantumr's death, the life work of Ether would have been fulfilled. He could now deposit the 24 plates in the place where Limhi's explorers would eventually find them. His mission complete, Ether concludes his record by saying, "Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen. (Eth. 15:34)."

A popular geographical proposal for the location of the "land of many waters" in the vicinity where Limhi's expedition found the 24 gold plates, and approximately where Coriantumr lived for nine moons, is along the Gulf of Mexico between Campeche and Tabasco in an area of complex lagoons, deltas, and swamps (Allen, Joseph, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon Vol. 2, pg. 636,667; http://poulsenll.org/bom/tworivers.html).
This raises several interesting questions: If the Mulekite stalae mentioned in Omni was created in the same region where Coriantumr died and where Ether deposited his 24 gold plates, why was the stelae eventually carried into the mountainous region of the city of Zarahemla? Certainly this wasn't the only record composed by literate Mulekites. Before their language was corrupted, they likely made a concerted effort to keep some kind of history and genealogy, just as other literate peoples in ancient times. So why transport this particular record upriver? Why were the people of Zarahemla so anxious that Mosiah I translate this specific stone tablet?

Answering these questions must accompany many suppositions, but the picture drawn by such suppositions may help us understand the essential Mesoamerican traditions of kingship rights based upon a solid genealogical pedigree. This tradition--that future kings must have genealogical ties to former kings--is rooted in many ancient cultures, but particularly in Mesoamerica. And proving one's royal pedigree is always best accomplished by tangible, deciperable records. This, I believe, is why Mosiah I was so readily accepted as Zarahemla's king. The Brass Plates, as well as the records and geneologies of Nephi that traced Mosiah I's lineage back to Lehi (and probably all the way to Joseph of Egypt (1 Ne. 19:2)), put the stamp of approval upon Mosiah I's spiritual and political leadership. Because the Mulekites had experienced several generations of war and upheaval and could only cite their lineage by oral tradition, they could not offer a competing pedigree. Now, this should not imply that Zarahemla himself was not a noble and humble man who naturally vacillated toward Mosiah I's exemplary character and spirituality. But because pedigree was so important among the ancients, it cannot be denied that the Nephites' written records went a long way toward convincing the general Mulekite populace to acquiesce to Mosiah I's leadership.

However, not every Mulekite may have been hunky-dory with the notion of Nephite domination. It's also possible that some Nephites flaunted their supposed "cultural superiority" and caused serious offense. Whatever the case, some Mulekites may not have appreciated the new class status that was seemingly heaped upon them. This same resentment, percolating for several generations, may have eventually inspired the King-men rebellions in the days of Amalickiah, Captain Moroni, and beyond.

Interestingly, the first hint we receive that the people of Zarahemla may have attempted to reassert their pedigree rights may trace back to when Mosiah I was first asked to translate the stone tablet that told of King Coriantumr and the Jaredites. Again, why was Mosiah I asked to translate this particular stelae? Was it merely overwhelming curiousity about the downfall of the Jaredites or something more? Again, why did the Mulekites transport this potentially heavy, awkward, and fragile stone from the region of "many waters," where Coriantumr died, all the way to the city of Zarahemla? By reading "between the lines" of the scriptural text, a story emerges that may explain much of the bitterness and prejudice that inspired tragic events over the next century and a half or until the visitation of Jesus Christ.

First, let's return to the subject of King Coriantumr. We are not told what Coriantumr did during those nine months among the people of Zarahemla. Most readers have presumed that he was an elderly, weakened, and heartbroken figure who fell ill and soon expired. The Book of Mormon confirms none of these presumptions. The Prophet Ether records that on several occasions during the Jaredite civil war Coriantumr offered to surrender to his adversaries in an effort to spare the lives of his people. However, his efforts always fell apart, presumably because the hatred and bloodlust of Coriantumr's troops was insatiable. Basically, "Satan had full power over the hearts of the people (Eth. 15:19)" There is no evidence that Coriantumr ever really pushed his efforts to surrender. It seemed almost as a fleeting thought--at attack of cconscience--that Coriantumr sometimes experience, and which he later suppressed. Also, Shiz would only agree to Coriantumr's offer if Coriantumr was willing to lay his own life on the line, allowing himself to be executed. Apparently self-preservation was of greater value to Coriantumr than the lives of his people. No event is ever recorded wherein the Jaredite King personally attempted to surrender his weapons. Instead, Coriantumr fought to the bitter end, inevitably beheading his last opponent, Shiz. So his sincerity at surrendering is brought into serious question. His ultimate refusal to surrender--even for the sake of his people--reinforces the scriptural claim that Coriantumr and his people were too far gone--too much under Satan's control--and somehow no longer able to commit to lasting repentence.

Upon being discovered by the people of Zarahemla, what might we expect from a corrupt king who was currently without a kingdom? If the people he encountered were a mixture of races, including Jaredites, Mulekites, and possibly other kinships, it seems reasonable to assume that Coriantumr would have tried to rally supporters in favor of his ruling pedigree. Among the people of Zarahemla there appears to have been a powerful Jaredite contingent. This is evidenced in many of the names we find among the Nephites after their arrival in Zarahemla. Names like Teancum, Korihor, Morianton, Nehor, and even Moroni (probably a derivation of the Jaredite name Moron) reveal that Jaredite cultural roots remained firmly entrenched among the Nephites. Therefore, Coriantumr's claim that he belonged to a line of kings tracing back to the same Jared who crossed the ocean at the time of the Great Tower would have been powerful stuff, especially to any person with Jaredite heritage. If Coriantumr asserted such claims, it may have ignited civil conflicts before and/or after Coriantumr's demise. We are never told the cause of Coriantumrs' death. Could it have been the result of violence?

The explorers of King Limhi, while searching for Zarahemla, discovered a land whose populace was once as "numerous as the hosts of Israel (Mosiah 8:8)." Now those "hosts" were gone. Their civilization was in ruins. Many Latter-day Saints of decades past have concluded that the conflict referenced by Limhi's explorers was the Jaredite battle at Ramah/Cumorah. This is unlikely. Such a battle would have taken place more than two centuries before the explorers' arrival. In Mesoamerica's climate physical remains--bodies and bones--don't last more than a decade or two. Within thirty or forty years most of these remains would have decayed and returned to the earth, especially if left out in the open (as the bodies reportedly encountered apparently were). It's also unlikely that such destruction was the result of a civil conflict inspired by Coriantumr during his nine-month sojourn. The same factors of earthly decay would apply. The conflict discovered by Limhi's men cannot presently be identified. Could this conflict have had its roots in political rancor originally stoked decades earlier by King Coriantumr? Again, it's impossible to say, but not implausible.

Coriantumr was discovered by a people who were not his direct subjects and therefore had not participated in the wider Jaredite conflict. However, if Coriantumr remained true to character, it's certainly plausible that he would continue to seek power. His very presence might provoke political division. Whether Coriantumr died by violence or natural causes is not stated in the Book of Mormon—only that his days among the Mulekites were "nine moons." However, those nine months had a significant and lasting impact upon the people of Zarahemla. This Jaredite King was not soon forgotten, as is evidenced by the stone stelae transported to Zarahemla that preserved his story and was eventually translated by Mosiah I.

The question is sometimes asked: Why did Limhi's explorers fail to find Zarahemla? But such a mistake becomes easier to comprehend when one studies the terrain that is proposed by the vast majority of LDS researchers. The answer is that Limhi's explorers, in their efforts to find Zarahemla, simply followed the wrong river system.

But how did the Nephites forget the location of Zarahemla in the first place? Remember, this branch of Nephites had been isolated in the land of Nephi for about three generations. Apparently no usable maps had been preserved. As a result, the only surviving information to guide them came from oral traditions and rumors. Such traditions likely asserted that Zarahemla was located on the western banks of a prominent river whose headwaters began in the mountains northeast of the land of Nephi. This area is sometimes identified in the Book of Mormon as the "narrow strip of wilderness" which separates the land of Nephi from the land of Zarahemla (Alma 22:27). Most LDS researchers identify this "narrow strip of wilderness" as the highlands of Guatemala, or more specifically, the Cuchumatanes Mountain range which runs east/west from the Pacific to Atlantic.

There are two major rivers that begin in these highlands and flow northward to the Gulf of Mexico. Both rivers—the Grijalva and the Usumacinta—spring out of the earth a short distance from each other (about 20 or 30 miles), yet they follow a very different course across Guatemala and southern Mexico. According to some LDS researchers, if the expedition of Limhi did something as seemingly innocent and mundane as follow the Usumacinta instead of the Grijalva, not only would they fail to find Zarahemla, but the river would take them to the very region that some LDS researchers have long proposed as the "land of many waters" spoken of in Mosiah. If this is true, such "waters" would today comprise much of the delta of both of these river systems, as they finally reach the Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of Villahermosa, Mexico (Allen, Joseph, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, Vol. 2, pg. 574).

If Limhi's explorers had continued along the coast, they might have eventually confronted sites like La Venta and other Olmec ruins that non-LDS archeologists such as Matthew Sterling and Michael Coe describe as being abandoned between 400 and 300 B.C.--a time synonomous with the Jaredite destruction. (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vent/hd_vent.htm).

However, other ruins in this area may stand a greater likelihood of being encountered by Limhi's expedition. Such sites also date to the time period of Limhi, but archaeological research and field work remains incomplete and ongoing. The most intriguing of these ruins may be Comalcalco, an ancient seaport located very close to where the Grihalva and Usumacinta Rivers empty into the sea.

Comalcalco is an archaeological ruin unfamiliar to most Latter-day Saints, despite current debates raging among present-day Mesoamericanists that Latter-day Saints would find particularly intriguing. Most mainstream researchers classify it as "Mayan" despite many anomolies which place these ruins in a different category altogether. Comalcalco appears to be the only location in Mesoamerica where buildings were constructed using fired-clay bricks. Such bricks are held together by an ingenious technique of using mortar made from oyster shells. Many of these bricks have symbols inscribed on the back. The practice of inscribing symbols on the back of bricks is sometimes called a "mason's fingerprint." Such a custom was formerly known only among ancient Romans and their trade allies. Yet this is only the beginning of Comalcalco's mysteries. Many of the complex inscriptions on these bricks are identical (note that I said identical, not similar) to symbols found at Roman, Minoan, and ancient Greek sites.

This has ignited a firestorm of controversy that mainstream researchers are thus far unwilling to address. The whole site just doesn't fit into current archaeological paradigms. A growing number of archaeologists now propose that ancient Comalcalco somehow had contact with Roman traders. Roman measuring systems and architectual styles appear to have been employed in numerous structures. Roman figurines have been discovered, as well as carvings and masks of people sporting beards or hats--images that are extremely rare in the New World. Pre-columbian horse bones have also been reported as well as the DNA of Old World parasites.

For decades Archaeologists dated the height of this community at 500 A.D. to 900 A.D. However, the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico changed its previous dating to 100 B.C.- 600 A.D. (Neile Steede,"Update Comalcalco" in La Sociedad de Epigrafia Mexico vol 2, No 1, 1985 Pgs1-10). Nevertheless, the work of dating and analyzing this site is very much a work in progress. Some artifacts of Comalcalco date back as early as 500-600 B.C. Among these artifacts may be those inscribed bricks, which appear to have been recovered from an older structure and "re-used" in pyramids built at a later date. (Steede. Neil; "The Bricks of Comalcalco," Ancient American, 1:8, September/October 1994; Fell, Barry; "The Comalcalco Bricks: Part 1, the Roman Phase," Occasional Papers, Epigraphic Society, 19:299, 1990; http://www.delange.org/Comalcalco/Comalcalco.htm; http://mexicolesstraveled.com/comalcalco.htm.)

It's too early to draw any firm conclusion about Comalcalco and its relationship to the Book of Mormon. Discoveries made at Comalcalco seems to be one example where LDS researchers have maintained a disciplined silence, allowing non-LDS researchers to continue their work unimpeded by even the appearance of LDS bias. No LDS researcher, as far as I am aware, has publicized the obvious, almost mouth-watering, correlations that Comalcalco may have with the Book of Mormon. The site could easily become a subject of lengthy analysis for multiple LDS researchers. Hopefully someone will take up such a task soon enough. But for the time being, and for this particular article, we'll maintain our focus upon Ether and the Jaredites.

By asking Mosiah I to translate the stone tablet that was now unreadable to the people of Zarahemla, a few Mulekite observers may have hoped that Mosiah I's translation would restore their rights of leadership and lineage authority. Maybe they hoped that a written record could finally be presented to compete with the written records of the Nephites. After all, if they could prove that Zarahemla, or some other member of their community, had descended from Jared or Coriantumr, would Mosiah I have been forced to abdicate his throne and restore authority to the region's original inhabitants?

If so, these same political elements among the people of Zarahemla might have harbored similar hopes regarding the 24 gold plates brought to Zarahemla and translated by Mosiah II. In order to justify a political movement such as the one motivated by King-men, proponents must accumulate convincing arguments. This is how one musters support and gains followers. As always, the best way to establish ancient King-ship arguments with the general populace is with records and documents. All the better if the majority of supporters are illiterate and if the "interpreters" of such documents are those who actually seek power. So did the King-men find what they were looking for in Ether's plates? Without the entire text, this question is impossible to answer. But apparently the King-men found all the justification they needed, whether in these records or elsewhere. In any case, revolutionaries like Amalikiah and others managed to orchestrate a nearly-successful effort to throw out the system of judges established by Mosiah II and restore a system of kings--probably
kings with a Mulekite or Jaredite bloodline.

Even if this scenario answers questions and offers some explanations behind political dynamics among the Nephites prior to the Savior's advent, much work is still to be done connecting the dots. This blog is meant to raise questions, present ideas, and provide a foundation for future researchers to build upon.

All such information continues to demonstrate that Ether's writings and the Jaredite culture had complex and farreaching social and political ramifications among the Nephites and other inhabitants of Mesoamerica long after the Jaredite destruction. As someone who often mourns such things as Martin Harris's lost 116 manuscript pages, and who yearns for the restoration of other documents and records cited in the Book of Mormon and elsewhere, it should come as no surprise that I also mourn that Moroni was forced to abridge Ether's writings down to 100th part of what Ether had originally composed on his 24 plates. Will we ever receive such missing information? I think we will. In fact, the Lord has promised that more records are forthcoming. When that day arrives, it will be a day of much rejoicing among faithful Latter-day Saints. In the meantime, those 15 miraculous chapters of Ether, even as abridged by Moroni, will suffice.

May we perpetually study these scriptures with renewed faith and re-opened eyes, making our hearts and minds available to the Spirit's seemingly endless insights. We've been instructed that it is only after we learn to appreciate and understand the inspired words that God has already given us that we will finally be found worthy to receive more.

I, for one, look forward to such days with great anticipation.

(c) Copyright 2010, Chris Heimerdinger

MORMON: A MAN FORBIDDEN TO PREACH--WHO PREACHED ANYWAY/ Resolving a possible textual contradiction in the Book of Mormon

2010-01-14T14:53:00.027-07:00

One of the marvelous opportunities that comes to me while slaving away at writing a Tennis Shoes novel is that I am forced to address topics that I had never previously considered. Such has been the case on several occasions as I have contemplated the social, political, and physical scenarios which surrounded the Nephite refugees before the last battle at Cumorah.

Such contemplations have necessitated certain speculations regarding the religious lives of Mormon and Moroni. This is actually a far more complex matter than you might imagine. Mormon and Moroni consistently describe the state of the Nephites as one of corruption and degredation. And yet other places in the books of Mormon and Moroni make it clear that they enjoyed a rich association with fellow Christians. Exactly who were these Christians if they were not part of the main Nephite population?

As to the general depravity and wickedness of the Nephites, Mormon writes in 4th Nephi that "when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto another" and that there were "none righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus" (4 Ne. 1:44-45). We can presume this refers to the three Nephites who were blessed with the ability to witness the history of the world until the end of times. However, wickedness caused the Lord to entirely remove these disciples from among the Nephites (Morm 1:13). Mormon states that iniquity was so rampant among the Nephites by the time he was 15 years old that "the work of healings and of miracles did cease" and "there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon them . . ." (Morm. 1:13-14). Four years later, in AD 330 he boldly asserts that "the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually" (Morm. 2:15). The eternal condition of the Nephites appears dire indeed. So grave that by the age of 15 Mormon was forbidden to preach the gospel to them altogether (Morm 1:16-17). And yet, in spite of this command from the Lord, there is evidence that Mormon did preach. But to whom? If Mormon was forbidden to preach to the Nephites, who did he preach to?

One of the most sublime chapters in the text of the Book of Mormon is a sermon from Mormon, transcribed to us by his son, Moroni, and found in the 7th chapter of Moroni. Chapter 8 also contains a sermon from Mormon regarding an important misunderstanding associated with the doctrine of infant baptism. (Such an error, though deeply serious with an active congregation, seems rather trivial if delivered to a people for whom "the day of grace was past.") Additionally, the opening chapters of Moroni present specific instructions regarding baptism, blessing the sacrament, and the ordaining of priests and teachers. Chapter 6 of the Book of Moroni offers detailed instruction regarding the day-to-day functions of Church leaders and basic doctrines related to repentance, prayer, fasting, and the proper conduct of meetings.

So despite rampant spiritual depravity among the Nephites, it appears that a relatively healthy and flourishing Christian congregation must have existed somewhere in Mormon's midst. This Church appears to have existed in Mormon's homeland in the land northward. He appears to have been reared within this righteous Christian community, and to also have raised his family here. In addition, an active ministry flourished among these Christians. Preaching as a part of his ministry is described as Mormon's "calling" (see Morm. 7:3) and this same calling was later passed along to his son, Moroni (Morm. 8:1).

References from Mormon's personal history suggest that he was raised somewhat apart from the general Nephite population, in lands that may have been at the northern extreme of Nephite territory, or else in a land generally inhabited by peoples who were not Nephites, either racially or culturally. This location was very near to the land inhabited by the Prophet Ammoron, son of Amos, and grandson of Nephi (that same Nephi for which 4 Nephi was named). Is it possible that spiritual corruption and depravity among the general Nephite populace forced righteous men and their families to seek habitation in other districts of the land? Or in Mormon's case, in lands at the northern extreme, or just beyond the borders of the region of formal Nephite occupation?

Mormon's first experience with the general Nephite populace occurred in about AD 322 when he was eleven years old (see Morm. 6-7). At this time he tells how his father carried him into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla. During this trip he vividly describes scenes around him by saying, "The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and that the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea." Such a description rings with boyhood "fish-out-of-water" fascination, and strongly hints that his own homeland was very different from the one that he was observing. Probably, Mormon's home was substantially more rural and certainly more sparsely populated than those Nephite population centers he encountered in Zarahemla and the land southward.

Interestingly, Mormon tells us that at the age of ten he "began to be learned somewhat after the manner of the learning of my people . . ." A common interpretation for this verse is that it describes a typical "coming of age" experience for any ten-year-old. However, Mormon's phrasing may signify somewhat more. It may reveal that until this age he actually knew very little about his Nephite heritage. Around this time his father (and possibly others) began the process of enlightening and educating him with regard to the culture and history of his noble ancestors, whose descendents dwelled primarily in lands further to the south.

The precise motive for the journey of Mormon's father to the Nephite heartland in AD 322 is not stated. But it may have been an act of political obedience. Mormon reports that in this same year a serious war began to commence between the Nephites and Lamanites. This coincidence and historical dynamic led LDS Scholar John A. Tvedtnes to suggest that Mormon's family had directly descended from an established military caste. If Mormon and his father were part of a military tradition, the journey southward in AD 322 may have been the result of enlistment orders from leaders in Zarahemla. In short, Mormon's father was being "called to duty." If Mormon, the father of Mormon (the scriptures confirm that both had the same name (Morm. 1:5)), was already a war commander and part of a military caste, it would certainly explain, four years later, why young Mormon was so readily accepted as a commander himself—and possibly his father's successor—at the tender age of fifteen. Dr. Tvedtnes reinforces his proposition for Mormon's military heritage by comparing such a caste tradition to other Mesoamerican cultures, particularly the Aztecs (John A. Tvedtnes, Was Mormon a Member of a Military Class?, SEHA 163 (April 1988)).

Despite young Mormon's destiny and training as a military officer, it reveals little about the deep spiritual nature of his character. Such traits appear to have developed apart from his racial roots, and perhaps on the very fringes of Nephite population and influence. So if the Christians with whom Mormon associated, preached among, and sat with at church services throughout much of his life were not Nephites, who were they?

According to part-time Book of Mormon geographer and researcher Alan C. Miner, the idea that these "mystery" Christians may have been Ammonites, or descendants of the Lamanite converts of Ammon, was first proposed by Clate W. Mask Jr., emeritus member of the Seventy, while he and Dr. Miner were touring Central America together in 1991. The proposition that Ammonite society survived in the lands northward, essentially intact, for four centuries is extremely difficult to confirm archeologically. However, the prospect becomes interesting when examining together a number of references in the Book of Mormon.

A thorough reading of Helaman 3: 3-16 reveals an extraordinary amount of information regarding a massive northward migration that took place in about BC 46. Mormon offers many details on the complexities of trade between the lands northward and southward. He also describes the task of creating and storing written records. In addition, Mormon offers further information regarding the complex cultural and racial dynamics as to how terms like "Lamanite" and "Nephite" were defined (see vs. 16 in particular).

The text reveals that a primary motivation for this northward migration was to escape the "contentions and many dissentions" (vs. 3) which sprang up in the land of Zarahemla. The Ammonites, or Lamanite converts of Ammon, are identified as one of the groups who became involved in this northward migration (vs. 12). Throughout these thirteen verses of Helaman we find that Mormon often interjects an editorial perspective, particularly with regard to the monumental task of abridging a singular record from his extensive library, but also his frustration that he cannot include in his abridgment more than "a hundreth part" of the materials at his disposal (vs. 14). Verse 13 seems to suggest that the Ammonites themselves were ambitious record keepers. Mormon apparently had these Ammonite records in his possession, but as with other records, he regrets that he cannot contain them all upon the plates of the Book of Mormon. For Mormon to make an editorial statement of this specificity regarding Ammonite records is noteworthy. One might wonder how Mormon came into possession of such records in the first place, except for the fact that Mormon or Ammoron, as fellow inhabitants of land northward, were in close enough in proximity to the people of Ammon. Therefore, obtaining such records could have been accomplished with ease. Also, since Mormon and Ammoron were prophets, the Ammonites likely would have felt no reservations about turning over their sacred records. This would have been especially true of their attitude about the Prophet Mormon since, during these years, the survival of all records, as well as the survival of the people themselves, was in serious jeopardy.

But let's make sure we have properly examined the text. Verse 13 reads, "And now there are many records kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large concerning them." To reiterate, the previous verse (Verse 12) speaks specifically of the Ammonites. It's not entirely certain that Mormon is reflecting a continuity of thought and subject, and whether he is referring exclusively to Ammonites when he says "this people" in Verse 13, or if he is referring to all Nephites and Lamanites. Mormon's editorial style may imply that he begins his general reference to the records of all of the inhabitants of the land in Verse 14, but the question is open to conjecture.

However, also consider an earlier statement from Alma 23:6 wherein Mormon reports that those Lamanites who were converted by Ammon "never did fall away." Beyond Helaman, Chapter 3, no further mention of the Ammonites is made in the scriptural record. Perhaps it is a stretch to interpret the term "never did fall away" as multi-generational, extending all the way to Mormon's own time period, but because Mormon never recanted or amended this statement anywhere else in the Book of Mormon, the conclusion becomes at least plausible.

During Mormon's sublime sermon on faith, hope, and charity recorded in Chapter 7 of the Book of Moroni, he states:

"I would speak to you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord . . . And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men (Morm. 7: 3-4, emp. added).

If Mormon were preaching such a sermon to a congregation of active warriors or hardened battle veterans it would seem very strange indeed. It seems instead to have been delivered to a group of people who, during that period of time, may not have been directly involved in any of the Nephite/Lamanite/Gadianton conflicts that occupied much of Mormon's temporal labors and energy. Perhaps referring to followers of Christ as "peaceable" is an appropriate enough description of the general Christian character, but for Mormon to additionally judge his listeners worthy to enter into the rest of the Lord because of their "peaceable walk with the children of men" may suggest that the members of his particular congregation had no battle experience whatsoever. Is it possible that he was addressing a congregation of pacifists? A peace loving people who practiced the same tradition of refusing to take up arms as the first generation of the people of Ammon?

For these reasons, I have made the speculation that Mormon and Moroni's stewardship and ministry as witnesses of Christ (see Mormon 3:16, 9:1-6, Moroni 9:4) may not have been among a congregation of Nephites at all. Oh, it's possible that a few Christian Nephites residing in Mormon's homeland had been embraced by the local congregation. But for the most part, this Christian community may have comprised god-fearing peoples who were the direct descendants of the converts of Ammon. Additional information regarding these ideas, and possible timelines for when Mormon may have delivered some of his celebrated sermons, are provided here: Link

Such a speculation naturally leads one to wonder what became of these Christians. I propose that the Lamanites and robbers of Gadianton lumped the Ammonites in the same general category as the Nephites and therefore sentenced them to face the same fate. Such a conclusion seems compatible with Moroni's statements in the years following the slaughter at Cumorah that he was alone with no kinsfolk or friends (Morm. 8:5) and that any Nephite who would not deny the Christ was hunted down and put to death (see Moro. 1:2).

But again, the reader is reminded that the Book of Mormon frequently hints that the world of the Nephites and Lamanites is infinitely more complex than it initially appears. Even after all the many times that I have examined its pages, I continue to have moments like this wherein layers of depth are revealed that make the text as fresh and invigorating as the first time ever I encountered it. To be certain the full story of the Nephites and Lamanites—their history, migrations, and inevitable spiritual destiny—may one day be revealed to the world in far greater detail than what is currently extant, that is, right alongside the history and destiny of every people and tribe of God's children who ever inhabited the earth.

(c) Copyright 2010, Chris Heimerdinger