KnoWhy #259

January 9, 2017

Aerial image of Kharfot, the most likely location of Bountiful

Has the Location of Nephi’s

Bountiful Been Discovered?
And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also
wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish.
1 Nephi 17:5
The Know
After journeying in the wilderness for the “space of It wasn’t until 1976, however, that this region’s first LDS
many years,” Lehi and his family eventually came to a explorers—Lynn and Hope Hilton—sought to verify
coastal region which they “called Bountiful, because of a specific site for Bountiful in their groundbreaking,
its much fruit and also wild honey” (1 Nephi 17:4–5). though brief, trek into Oman.4 Since then, a number
This location not only served as a refuge from the harsh of LDS explorers and researchers have surveyed Dho-
desert landscape, but also as a place where they could far’s coastal inlets. In 1994, Warren and Michaela As-
build and then launch a ship toward their “promised ton published a set of 12 logical and scriptural criteria
land” in the New World (1 Nephi 18:23). needed to identify Bountiful’s location in the real world
(see chart),5 based on a careful reading of Nephi’s state-
Many people have rightly wondered if such a coastal ments.6 After exploring all the coastal inlets in the re-
paradise ever existed in the Arabian Peninsula.1 As ear- gion, the Astons concluded that Wadi Sayq (“River Val-
ly as 1950, Hugh Nibley proposed that Bountiful could ley”) and its opening near the ocean at Khor Kharfot
plausibly be located in the Qara Mountains of south- was the best candidate for Bountiful.7
ern Oman, in what is known as the Dhofar region.2 He
based his suggestion on an early explorer’s account of Some have suggested that other inlets in the Dhofar
“seaward slopes velvety with waving jungle, their roofs region are a better match for Nephi’s Bountiful.8 Most
fragrant with rolling yellow meadows.”3 prominently, George Potter and Richard Wellington

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 Image from BookofMormonCentral.org

have argued that Khor Rori is a better fit based on what The Why
they call the crucial “maritime requirements.”9 While Regardless of which specific inlet was Lehi’s camp-
these proposals have their own strengths, Khor Kharfot grounds, Aston stressed, “Researchers generally agree
remains the best candidate in the eyes of many Book of that Nephi’s Bountiful must lie somewhere on the fertile
Mormon scholars.10 southern coast of Oman.”17 Aston even felt “that several
locations (all within a few miles of each other) being
Consistent with Nephi’s description, Khor Kharfot is proposed as Bountiful actually strengthens the Book of
“the most fertile coastal location on the Arabian Pen- Mormon’s claims” because, “None of these places was
insula with abundant freshwater, large trees, fruit, known in Joseph Smith’s 1829 environment.”18
and vegetation.”11 Its natural resources satisfy Nephi’s
description of “much fruit and wild honey” (1 Nephi After years of research and exploration of possible Book
17:5), as well as the need for substantial timber to build of Mormon sites, Aston has concluded that when impor-
a ship.12 tant scriptural locations are “anchored in the real world,
we can re-read the scriptural account with heightened
Kharfot also features a prominent mountain (1 Nephi appreciation for the story being told and its applications
18:3),13 with steep cliffs from which Nephi’s brothers to our own life journey.”19
could have menacingly threatened to throw him into
the “depths of the sea” (1 Nephi 17:48).14 Geological This is certainly true for Bountiful and its certain identi-
surveys have discovered that smeltable ore (1 Nephi fication within Dhofar, most likely at Khor Kharfot. Ne-
17:9–10) lay practically exposed at the surface of the phi described this area as being “prepared of the Lord
earth in Kharfot and nearby locations.15 that we might not perish” (1 Nephi 17:5). The full sig-
nificance of this statement is meaningfully driven home
All told, Khor Kharfot fittingly complies with the nu- by the first-hand accounts of explorers who have stum-
merous textual details contained in Nephi’s account, bled upon the region from the scorching desert inland.
and it, along with the rest of the Dhofar region, just hap- Bertram Thomas, for example, was greatly delighted
pens to be a long journey “nearly eastward” (1 Nephi when he “suddenly came upon it all from out of the arid
17:1) from the now archeologically-attested location of wastes of the southern borderlands.”20
the “place which was called Nahom” (1 Nephi 16:34).16
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 14:2).24
Concerning Wadi Sayq in particular, Aston has ex-
plained that the “vegetation inside the wadi changes Further Reading
from pure desert to scrubland as the coast is approached, Warren P. Aston, Lehi and Sariah in Arabia: The Old
climaxing in a remarkable concentration of lush vegeta- World Setting of the Book of Mormon (Bloomington,
tion and trees in the final two miles.”21 IN: Xlibris Publishing, 2015), 101–155.

The variety of fruits, the wild honey, the fresh water, the Wm. Revell Phillips, “Mughsayl: Another Candidate for
large trees for shipbuilding, the accessible ore for tools, Land Bountiful,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies
the prominent mountain for prayer and worship, the 16, no. 2 (2007): 48–59, 97.
ancient bay for launching the ship—all these divinely
prepared blessings become more readily apparent and Richard Wellington and George Potter, “Lehi’s Trail:
appreciable to those who have contrasted Dhofar’s “thin From the Valley of Lemuel to Nephi’s Harbor,” Journal
green band of trees, flowers, and grass” with the sur- of Book of Mormon Studies 15, no. 2 (2006): 26–43.
rounding desert.22
George Potter and Richard Wellington, Lehi in the Wil-
Pondering upon such a scene can evoke not only a deep derness: 81 New, Documented Evidences that the Book
gratitude for the Lord’s providence, but also a recogni- of Mormon is a True History (Springville, UT: Cedar
tion that He is aware of His children and is prepared to Fort, 2003), 121–162.
meet their needs. Lehi’s family had obediently left their
land of inheritance. Nephi and his brothers had risked Warren P. Aston, “The Arabian Bountiful Discovered?
their lives to obtain the plates of brass. Ishmael and per- Evidence for Nephi’s Bountiful,” Journal of Book of
haps other loved ones died during their trek. In their Mormon Studies 7, no. 1 (1998): 4–11, 70.
years of travel, they all faced near starvation, desolate
desert landscape, and certainly a number of untold tri-
als. Yet as a resting point before their final destination,
the Lord prepared a veritable coastal paradise which ad-
equately blessed them with everything they needed to
complete their journey to the promised land.23

A similar refuge has been prepared for all those who

faithfully press forward through the trials and hard-
ships of mortality. Alma described it as “a state of hap-
piness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of © Book of Mormon Central, 2016
peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and
from all care, and sorrow” (Alma 40:12). This heavenly
harbor will provide an ideal resting place for the souls
of the righteous while they prepare for the final destina-
tion of their own journey—eternal life in the celestial
kingdom of heaven.
Bountiful is more than just a place. It is an apt symbol
of the Lord’s divine providence, His tender mercies, and
His preparations unto the children of men. Wherever it
exists in the real world, Bountiful typifies the existence
of heavenly realms where the Lord Himself has gone be-
fore the righteous to “prepare a place” for them (John

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 Notes
1. See, for example, Gimel, “Book of Mormon,” The Christian for Nephi’s Bountiful,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 7,
Watchman 12, no. 40 (1831): “To believe the book of Mor- no. 1 (1998): 4–11, 70; Aston, “Across Arabia with Lehi and
mon, we must suppose that these emigrants traversed almost Sariah,” 15–21; Aston, Lehi and Sariah in Arabia, 103–155.
the whole length of the Arabian Gulf … and that they dis- For an account of this location’s discovery, see Aston, “Begin-
covered a country almost equal to paradise, where no body nings: The Discovery of Nephi’s Bountiful,” online at ldsmag.
else can find any thing but a sandy, barren desert.” Warren P. com; Warren P. Aston, “The Discovery of Nephi’s Bountiful,
Aston has found that critics have been making similar claims Part 2,” Meridian Magazine, April 17, 2014, online at ldsmag.
as late as 1985, and that despite being “based on usually- com.
authoritative sources such as the Encyclopaedia Britannica
and the Encyclopaedia of Islam,” they have been, “completely 8. The Hiltons initially favored the spring Ein Arzat, lo-
wrong.” Warren P. Aston, “Beginnings: The Discovery of Ne- cated in Salalah. See Hilton and Hilton, “In Search of Lehi’s
phi’s Bountiful,” Meridian Magazine, April 11, 2014, online Trail—Part 1” and “In Search of Lehi’s Trail—Part 2,” online
at ldsmag.com. at lds.org. Wm. Revell Phillips has argued for Bountiful be-
ing located at Mughsayl. See Wm. Revell Phillips, “Mughsayl:
2. See Hugh Nibley, “Lehi in the Desert,” Improvement Era Another Candidate for Land Bountiful,” Journal of Book of
53, no. 9 (1950): 707–708; reprinted in Lehi in the Desert/ Mormon Studies 16, no. 2 (2007): 48–59, 97.
The World of the Jaredites/There Were Jaredites, The Col-
lected Works of Hugh Nibley, Volume 5 (Salt Lake City and 9. George Potter and Richard Wellington have developed a
Provo, UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1988), 109–111. case for Khor Rori as Lehi’s Bountiful. See Richard Welling-
ton and George Potter, “Lehi’s Trail: From the Valley of Lem-
3. Bertram Thomas, Arabia Felix: Across the ‘Empty Quarter’ uel to Nephi’s Harbor,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies
of Arabia (New York, NY: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1932), 48. 15, no. 2 (2006): 35–43; George Potter and Richard Welling-
ton, Lehi in the Wilderness: 81 New, Documented Evidences
4. See Lynn M. Hilton and Hope A. Hilton, “In Search of that the Book of Mormon is a True History (Springville, UT:
Lehi’s Trail—Part 1: The Preparation,” Ensign, September Cedar Fort, 2003), 121–162.
1976, online at lds.org; Lynn M. Hilton and Hope A. Hilton,
“In Search of Lehi’s Trail—Part 2: The Journey,” Ensign, Oc- 10. Most informed Book of Mormon researchers, with the
tober 1976, online at lds.org; Lynn M. Hilton and Hope A. exception of George Potter and Richard Wellington, now fa-
Hilton, In Search of Lehi‘s Trail (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret vor Khor Kharfot as the best candidate for Nephi’s Bountiful
Book, 1976). For the Hilton’s more recent research in Arabia, (Warren P. Aston, personal communication to Book of Mor-
see Lynn M. Hilton and Hope A. Hilton, Discovering Lehi: mon Central Staff by Aston, November 2016). See also War-
New Evidence of Lehi and Nephi in Arabia (Springville, ren P. Aston, “Identifying Our Best Candidate for Nephi’s
UT: Cedar Fort, 1996); Lynn M. Hilton, “In Search of Lehi’s Bountiful,” Journal of the Book of Mormon and Restoration
Trail—30 Years Later,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Scripture 17, no. 1–2 (2008): 58–64; Warren P. Aston, “Why
15, no. 2 (2006). Arabia’s Hidden Valley is the Best Candidate for Bountiful,”
Meridian Magazine, May 28, 2013, online at ldsmag.com.
5. Chart derived from John W. Welch and J. Gregory Welch,
Charting the Book of Mormon: Visual Aids for Personal 11. Aston and Aston, In the Footsteps of Lehi, 43. It is nota-
Study and Teaching (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1999), chart 148, ble that Khor Kharfot has attracted sustained attention from
which is based on Warren P. Aston and Michaela K. Aston, non-LDS researchers, who have been impressed with its
In the Footsteps of Lehi (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, unique plants and animals. Even the name of the inlet, Khor
1994) 28–29. Kharfot, is itself linked to the name given by Lehi’s party. See
Aston, “Why Arabia’s Hidden Valley is the Best Candidate
6. See Aston and Aston, In the Footsteps of Lehi, 28–29, for Bountiful,” online at ldsmag.com; Warren P. Aston, “Did
based on work Warren Aston began in the 1980s; Warren P. Anyone Else in History ever Mention Nephi’s Bountiful?”
Aston, Lehi and Sariah in Arabia: The Old World Setting of Meridian Magazine, February 24, 2016, online at lds.org.
the Book of Mormon (Bloomington, IN: Xlibris Publishing,
2015), 104–106. 12. For example, trees “up to 40 feet in circumference” have
been found at Khor Kharfot. Aston, “Across Arabia with Lehi
7. See Aston and Aston, In the Footsteps of Lehi, 27–59; War- and Sariah,” 20. For further discussion of available timber,
ren P. Aston, “The Arabian Bountiful Discovered? Evidence see, Aston, “The Arabian Bountiful Discovered?” 9–10; As-

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ton, Lehi and Sariah in Arabia, 135–136, 138, 216 n.4; War- 23. No doubt, with all this in mind, the Nephites later gave
ren P. Aston, “Timber for Nephi’s Ship,” Meridian Magazine, the name of Bountiful to another choice place by the sea in
May 6, 2014, online at ldsmag.com. the New World, where the resurrected Savior would appear
to many at the temple there.
13. See Aston, “The Arabian Bountiful Discovered?” 10: “Fit-
tingly, at Kharfot the highest and most prominent peak is 24. When Nephi recorded his family’s journey on the small
isolated directly above the little western plateau where evi- plates of Nephi, he often used narrative symbolism and liter-
dence of former settlement is most abundant and on which ary allusions, especially to the Israelite exodus. And like the
Lehi’s family would have been most likely to camp.” exodus itself, the journey of his family frequently symbolized
the journey that each individual makes toward eternal life.
14. Aston, “Across Arabia with Lehi and Sariah,” 20. For examples of Nephi’s use of literary allusion, see Terrence
L. Szink, “Nephi and the Exodus,” in Rediscovering the Book
15. See Aston, Lehi and Sariah in Arabia, 142, 153 n.42; Wm. of Mormon: Insights You May Have Missed Before, ed. John
Revell Phillips, “Metals of the Book of Mormon,” Journal of L. Sorenson and Melvin J. Thorne (Salt Lake City and Provo,
Book of Mormon Studies 9, no. 2 (2000): 36–43, 82. UT: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1991), 38–51; Ben McGuire,
“Nephi and Goliath: A Case Study of Literary Allusion in
16. See Book of Mormon Central, “Who Called Ishmael’s the Book of Mormon,” Journal of the Book of Mormon and
Burial Place Nahom? (1 Nephi 16:34),” KnoWhy 19 (January Other Restoration Scripture 18, no. 1 (2009): 16–31. It may
26, 2016); Warren P. Aston, “Newly Found Altars from Na- also be notable that Bountiful, a location with a prominent
hom,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10, no. 2 (2001): mountain where Nephi went pray often and receive revela-
60; S. Kent Brown, “New Light from Arabia on Lehi’s Trail,” tion, acted as a sanctuary from the desert. In this sense, the
in Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon, ed. Donald location of Bountiful may hold meaningful relationships
W. Parry, Daniel C. Peterson, and John W. Welch (Provo, UT: with Mt. Sanai, where Moses received revelation for his peo-
FARMS, 2002), 89; S. Kent Brown, “New Light: Nahom and ple. See Donald W. Parry, “Sinai as Sanctuary and Mountain
the ‘Eastward’ Turn,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, of God” in By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of
no. 1 (2003): 111–112, 120. Hugh Nibley, Volume 1, ed. John M. Lundquist and Stephen
D. Ricks (Salt Lake City and Provo, UT: Deseret Book and
17. Aston, “Identifying Our Best Candidate for Nephi’s Boun- FARMS, 1990), 482–500.
tiful,” 58. David A. LeFevre, “We Did Again Take Our Jour-
ney,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 15, no. 2 (2006):
65 wrote: “The thin green band of trees, flowers, and grass
along the Dhofar coast of Oman is not just the best choice
for the group to locate while Nephi built his ship, it is the
only choice.” S. Kent Brown, Voices from the Dust: Book of
Mormon Insights (American Fork, Utah: Covenant Com-
munications, 2004), 46 also concluded: “The ultimate desti-
nation, whether known to the family or not, was the Dhofar
region in the south of modern Oman. It constitutes a botani-
cal anomaly in Arabia, a virtual Garden of Eden during the
rainy season. No other region, north or south, matches even
remotely the Bountiful described by Nephi.”

18. Aston, “Identifying Our Best Candidate for Nephi’s

Bountiful,” 63.

19. Aston, “Was Nephi’s Bountiful Populated?” online at lds-

mag.com.

20. Thomas, Arabia Felix, 48.

21. Aston and Aston, In the Footsteps of Lehi, 49.

22. LeFevre, “‘We Did Again Take Our Journey,’” 65.