Book of Mormon Evidence: Bountiful

Nephi’s Bountiful

After journeying in the wilderness for the “space of many years,” Lehi and his family eventually came to a coastal region which they “called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey” (1 Nephi 17:4–5). This location not only served as a refuge from the harsh desert landscape, but also as a place where they could build and then launch a ship toward their “promised land” in the New World (1 Nephi 18:23).

The Search for Bountiful in the Arabian Peninsula

Considering Arabia’s arid climate, some have questioned whether a coastal paradise like the one described in Nephi’s account ever existed there.¹ In 1950, Hugh Nibley proposed that Bountiful could plausibly be located in the Qara Mountains of southern Oman, in what is known as the Dhofar region.² He based his suggestion on an explorer’s account of “seaward slopes velvety with waving jungle, their roofs fragrant with rolling yellow meadows.”³

It wasn’t until 1976, however, that this region’s first Latter-day Saint explorers, Lynn and Hope Hilton, sought to verify a specific site for Bountiful in their groundbreaking, though brief, trek into Oman.⁴ Since then, a number of Latter-day Saint explorers and researchers have surveyed Dhofar’s coastal inlets (see Appendix). Today, two particular inlets—Khor Kharfot and Khor Rori—are seen as the primary candidates for Bountiful. Either site can potentially meet the requirements in Nephi’s account, depending on what assumptions one brings to the text. The following sections compare the two proposed sites to one another and to criteria derived from Nephi’s record.

“Nearly Eastward” from Nahom

Nephi reported that after his family departed from Nahom, they “did travel nearly eastward from that time forth” (1 Nephi 17:1) until they reached “the land which we called Bountiful” (v. 5). The location of Nahom has been confidently identified with the Nihm tribal grounds in Yemen,⁵ and the Dhofar region (where both Khor Kharfot and Khor Rori are located) is almost due east from that area. So, as far as directionality is concerned, both sites would comply almost equally well with the text.⁶

A Coastal Area

Nephi mentioned that upon reaching Bountiful, “we did pitch our tents by the seashore” (1 Nephi 17:6). Khor Kharfot and Khor Rori are both situated along the coast of the Indian Ocean—undoubtedly the same waters that Nephi’s family called “Irreantum” (1 Nephi 17:5).⁷

Accessible from the Interior Desert

Nothing in Nephi’s account explains the specific path needed for his family to reach the coast, but it would stand to reason that their campsite along the shore must have been accessible from the interior desert. Khor Kharfot is accessible by foot and camel through a long east-west wadi.⁸ Khor Rori, situated in the Salalah Plain, could have been accessed by following the ancient incense trail through the Thammarit pass—a route that has been used for thousands of years and is still in use today.⁹

Fresh Water

Although not mentioned specifically by Nephi, it can be assumed that a constant source of fresh water would have been necessary to sustain Lehi’s family during their long stay at Bountiful (likely multiple years). Just two miles inland from Khor Kharfot, the “primary drainage for the Qamar mountains,”¹⁰ called Wadi Sayq, bursts into “a remarkable concentration of lush vegetation and trees.”¹¹ Three major springs provide freshwater to the lagoon throughout the year.¹² Similarly, a large freshwater lagoon, fed primarily by spring water from Wadi Dharbat, sits only a few hundred feet from the current shore at Khor Rori.¹³ Thus, “both sites have freshwater sources.”¹⁴

Much Fruit

The name Bountiful suggests a place of abundance, and Nephi’s account describes it as having “much fruit” (1 Nephi 17:5). Khor Kharfot has been described as “the most fertile coastal location on the Arabian Peninsula with abundant freshwater, large trees, fruit, and vegetation.”¹⁵ Today it features dates, tamarinds, passion fruit, and three species of wild fig.¹⁶ Importantly, “Only at this place could a traveler arrive in ancient times and find uncultivated fruit already near the ocean as Nephi indicates.”¹⁷ The name Kharfot (which derives from a pre-Arabic Mahri term) has connotations of both abundance and ripe fruit.¹⁸

Just a few miles west of Khor Rori, a few farms near the coast are cultivated through irrigation at a settlement called Taqah.¹⁹ The major farming activities along the Salalah Plain are even further west (15–20 miles) of Khor Rori. “Present day farms on the coast grow coconuts, bananas, sugar cane, tobacco, cotton, indigo, cereals, pulse, and vegetables.”²⁰ Most of these irrigated crops, however, have been introduced in modern times. It is uncertain to what extent the area might have been fertile and cultivated around 600 BC.²¹

Wild Honey and Flowers

In addition to the presence of “much fruit,” Lehi’s party gave Bountiful its name because of its “wild honey” (1 Nephi 17:5). Since bees require flowers to make honey, it suggests that flowers were also abundant in the area. Khor Kharfot is home to “some 850 species of plants,”²² and beehives can be found in trees and in the caves lining the cliffs that flank the harbor.²³ Beehives can also be found in cliffs just 2.5 miles north of the harbor at Khor Rori.²⁴ Especially during the monsoon season, Wadi Dharbat (about 6 miles north of Khor Rori) is a place of flowers and verdant plant life.

Local Wildlife

Before they set sail toward their promised land, Lehi’s family gathered up their provisions including “meat from the wilderness” (1 Nephi 18:6). And in order to make tools, Nephi had to make a bellows “of the skins of beasts” (1 Nephi 17:11). Thus, wildlife was evidently available in the surrounding area.

An abundance of aquatic and land-dwelling wildlife has been identified in the area surrounding Khor Kharfot, including leopards, hyenas, wolves, foxes, and hyraxes.²⁵ An archaeological survey of the ancient ruins of Sumhuram at Khor Rhori found remains of cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and gazelle.²⁶ It is unknown precisely what animals would have been present in Nephi’s day at these sites, but evidence from both locations suggest that procuring skins for a bellows, as well as relying upon local fauna for food and other needs, would have been feasible at either site.

Flint and Ore

Nephi explained that he “did smite two stones together that I might make fire” (1 Nephi 17:11). Although his family could have retained flint stones from a different portion of their journey, or could possibly have obtained them through trade, it is significant that flint deposits can be found near Khor Kharfot²⁷ and Khor Rori.²⁸

Nephi also mentioned that “the Lord told me whither I should go to find ore, that I might make tools” (1 Npehi 17:10). Like the flint, usable deposits of iron ore can be found at locations close to Khor Kharfot and Khor Rori.²⁹ While the amount of ore present in the region isn’t sufficient for commercial use, it would have been plenty for Nephi to make all the tools he needed.³⁰ Importantly, the iron deposits in this region are rare, available right at the surface for easy extraction, and unusually suitable for smelting.³¹

A Nearby Mountain

After Nephi had been in the land of Bountiful for many days, the voice of the Lord declared, “get thee into the mountain” (1 Nephi 17:7; emphasis added). The use of the word the suggests there was a particularly prominent mountain in the area with which Nephi was familiar. Nephi also mentioned that he went “into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord” (1 Nephi 18:3). The frequency of his visits implies that this mount was close to their campsite.

A particular mountain at Khor Kharfot provides an ideal match with Nephi’s description. It towers immediately over the bay where Nephi could have built his ship, and at its base is a small plateau “where evidence of former settlement is most abundant and on which Lehi’s family would have been most likely to camp.”³² Additionally, the “rocky peak contains several natural cavities and platforms that would offer readily-accessed privacy for anyone wanting a place to pray and receive revelation.”³³

The closest elevated terrain near Khor Rori are the bluffs situated approximately two miles north of the lagoon.³⁴ While none of these hills particularly stand out as a candidate for the mountain spoken of in Nephi’s account, any of them could potentially have served as an elevated place of revelation.³⁵ And they are close enough to the bay that Nephi could have visited them regularly.

Cliffs along the Shore

On one occasion, after censuring his older brothers, Nephi reported that they “were desirous to throw me into the depths of the sea” (1 Nephi 17:48). This description seems to only makes sense if there were steep cliffs along the shoreline from which Nephi’s brothers could toss him into deep water.³⁶

Along the plateau at Khor Kharfot where Nephi’s family would most likely have camped “lie cliffs averaging 50–60 feet [15–18 meters] high with sharp rocks at their base, providing an eminently suitable place to dispose of a troublesome younger brother.”³⁷ Similarly, flanking the seaside entrance to Khor Rori are large sheer cliffs. Protruding into waters estimated to be “twenty-five to thirty-five feet deep,”³⁸ these cliffs form “breakwaters that allowed ancient ships to sail out 400–450 yards into the Indian Ocean proper with protection from the surf.”³⁹

A Sheltered Inlet

Because of the danger posed by monsoon storms, any long-term shipbuilding project along Arabia’s eastern coast would have required “a sheltered inlet or lagoon that protects from tides and storms while still allowing ready access to the ocean.”⁴⁰ Both Khor Kharfot and Khor Rori offer lagoons where Nephi’s family could have safely constructed and then launched a ship.⁴¹ While sandbars currently impede water access to the ocean at both sites, these natural blockades were formed fairly recently and therefore wouldn’t have posed a problem in ancient times.⁴²

Timber 

Nephi stated, “we did work timbers of curious workmanship. And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship” (1 Nephi 18:1). Nephi then emphasized that he “did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men, neither did I build the ship after the manner of men” (v. 2). Because his ship was built under divine direction and in a unique manner, it is uncertain what materials and timber were used in its construction. It has even been proposed that Nephi could have built a type of raft.⁴³

Although it was likely more verdant in ancient times,⁴⁴ Khor Kharfot still has plenty of large trees. “Timber from several species identified at Kharfot—particularly the sycamore fig (Ficus sycamorus) and the tamarind (Tamarindus indica)—would have been suitable for building a seagoing craft.”⁴⁵ Some evidence suggests that coconut trees, which can also be used in shipbuilding, may also have been in the area when Lehi’s party arrived.⁴⁶

As for Khor Rori, “shipbuilding timbers could possibly have come from mango and coconut trees that [may have been] cultivated on the Salalah plain.”⁴⁷ Another possibility is that in Lehi’s day hardwood timbers suitable for an ocean-fairing vessel were available at Wadi Dharbat, approximately 6–7 miles to the north.⁴⁸ Additionally, “Khor Rori was the premier port of the Dhofar region of Oman and was involved in seafaring as early as the fifth-fourth millennia BC.”⁴⁹ Although it remains unconfirmed,⁵⁰ timber imported from India or some other location may have been available at Khor Rori in Lehi’s day.⁵¹ 

Inhabited vs. Uninhabited

Several details in Nephi’s account suggest that Bountiful wasn’t a populated area at the time of Lehi’s arrival.⁵² Despite featuring fresh water and a sheltered inlet, Khor Kharfot has been only sparsely inhabited over the centuries, and was probably uninhabited during the sixth century BC. This is likely due to the difficulty of accessing the site from the interior trade routes.⁵³ Thus, Khor Kharfot nicely agrees with the details of the text on this point.

In contrast, “Both Khor Rori and the adjacent town of Taqah were settled long before Lehi’s arrival in southern Arabia.”⁵⁴ While seemingly less consistent with Nephi’s description, this factor could potentially add to the site’s favorability under the assumption that Nephi and his party would have needed to rely upon a local population for imported timber, as well as manual labor and skills related to building and navigating a ship.⁵⁵

Khor Kharfot vs. Khor Rori

As proposed locations for Bountiful, both Khor Kharfot and Khor Rori clearly have much to offer. The following chart gives a side-by-side comparison of how well they comply with the criteria (either directly stated or implied) in Nephi’s account:

 The differences of opinion among researchers about which location is more appealing rests primarily on whether Bountiful was inhabited when Nephi’s group arrived. If it was, and if its inhabitants were growing much fruit, and if Nephi had to rely on the local population for labor, skills, imported timber, and other shipbuilding materials—then Khor Rori provides a better fit.

In contrast, if Nephi’s Bountiful was uninhabited, then it indicates that the “much fruit” described by Nephi would have needed to grow there spontaneously. It also means that timber and other materials needed to build a ship must have been available in the immediate environment, and that the Lord took a very active role in helping Nephi know how to build the ship. The best candidate under this scenario is clearly Khor Kharfot.

Conclusion

Rather than attempting to settle the issue of which site better fits Nephi’s Bountiful, this summary merely offers an overview of each proposal’s strengths and limitations. As stated by Warren Aston, “One can even see that several locations (all within a few miles of each other) being proposed as Bountiful actually strengthens the Book of Mormon’s claims.”⁵⁶

It is significant that some of the features present at both sites are rather unexpected. Satellite imagery shows just how uniquely lush the Dhofar region is. This thin band of greenery is entirely out of place along the more than 1000 miles of Arabia’s otherwise desolate south-eastern coastline. And yet Dhofar happens to be almost due east of the most likely spot for Nahom, just as the Book of Mormon predicts.

In addition to the unusual concentration of fruit, honey, fresh water, abundant wildlife, and timber, the discovery of iron ore in Dhofar was quite unexpected. According to geologist Revell Phillips, “there is actually very little iron ore anywhere along the southern coast of Oman.”⁵⁷ Oman’s Ministry of Mines didn’t even know iron deposits existed in this region until Latter-day Saint geologists informed them of their discoveries in the year 2000.⁵⁸

This, of course, means that Joseph Smith had virtually no chance of knowing that ore suitable for making tools was in this area in 1829. In fact, maps and other sources available in the early 19th century suggest there is little chance he would have known anything specific about these locations,⁵⁹ especially concerning the uninhabited Khor Kharfot.⁶⁰ Such unexpected confirmation of particular environmental details thousands of miles from Joseph Smith’s location in the eastern United States provides strong evidence of the Book of Mormon’s authenticity.