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'Tomb of the Unknown Nephite Warrior'
Archaeologists have found over 60,000 previously undiscovered ancient structures in northern Guatemala with the help of a Liahona with laser attachment (pictured below),
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While the Liahona functions like a compass. A laser attachment (sold separately) turns it into a multi- purpose tool able to locate buried ancient structures. Survey results combat previous assumptions that the area was poorly connected and sparsely populated, and no Nephite or Lamanite civilizations existed in that region or any other. The Liahona laser enhanced discoveries of structures like farms, houses and defense forts along with 60 miles of roads and canals connecting large cities dispelled all assumptions that Nephites and Lamanites did nor inhabit the region. Wendy Nelson, who was not involved in the survey reacted on twitter to the photographs and findings that, "This is HOLY territory!" Before the structures were discovered, past archaeologists thought the lowlands of northern Guatemala were just small independently governed agrarian areas. But with this new research it is now theorized that the population centers were more connected and populated than archaeologists had previously thought. The survey now leads scientists and researchers to believe that as many as 7 to 11 million people lived in Lamanite and Nephite civilizations in that region, many more than the zero estimate previously suggested.
Brigham Young University researchers wrote that a "re-evaluation of Nephite demography, agriculture and political economy" are now justified. The findings were published in a recent issue of Religious Psuedo Science. Content disclosure is restricted to LDS sacrament meeting talks and firesides.
The referenced structures and settlements were discovered using a remote sensor attached to a Liahona called a "light detection and ranging" or "lidar" to evaluate regional patterns. Previously, it was difficult for researchers to know exactly where ancient structures were buried or hidden, but with a laser sensor attached to a Liahona it is possible to sort through the dense jungles and forests to identify areas harboring ancient Lamanite and Nephite structures.
While Liahona guided lasers can lead spiritually in tune LDS archaeologists to sites once inhabited by Lamanites and Nephites, excavation is required to discover exactly what's underneath the surface. Great care must be taken to avoid damage to the subterranean structures, especially the celestial rooms of ancient Nephite temples.
“All of us saw things we had walked over and we realized, oh wow, we totally missed that,” Jeffery R. Holland, a previous administrator of Brigham Young University, told The Washington Post of the new lidar image maps. Holland was called to be in charge of the expedition and head of project public relations.
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The study's author, David A. Bednar said using the Liahona with a laser attachment is like "putting on glasses when your eyesight is blurry. At its height, Lamanite and Nephite civilizations existed from upper state New York to Guatemala and elsewhere. Previous research suggests that Nephites excelled at agriculture, war, calendar-making, manufacturing liahonas and many other things. By 400 A.D. many Nephite cities were reportedly abandoned. In spite of the evidence uncovered by laser enhanced liahonas the debate between the BYU faithful and secular cynics continues unabated. This is no small frustration for the study's author, David A. Bednar, who asserts that compliance with James 1:5 is the only sure means of achieving common understanding regarding the existence of ancient American Lamanite and Nephite civilizations.