The land northward is not given a name. How the first large group traveled (v. 4) is not given. We assume it was by land since the ship is mentioned in verse five and seems to be mentioned as a unique way of travel. Also, Hagoth seems to be labeled as “exceedingly curious” because he built “an exceedingly large ship.” The “narrow neck of land which led into the land northward” (v. 5; see also Alma 22:32), implies there may have been a second narrow neck of land.
Alma 63:7–9 Other Ships Built and People Migrate Northward – 38th Year
7 And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward.
8 And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not.
9 And it came to pass that in this year there were many people who went forth into the land northward. And thus ended the thirty and eighth year.
The total number of people who sailed away (vv. 6–7) must have been large. The text indicates there were others who went northward by other means of travel (v. 9). We must wait for the fuller record to be revealed (see 3 Nephi 26:6–11) from which we may learn more of those people.
Those who were never heard of again (v. 8) are believed to be the people in the islands of the sea known today as Polynesians. There is no evidence of this belief in the Book of Mormon, but it comes from statements of General Authorities of the Church and patriarchal blessings given to members of the Church in those islands. The First Presidency has never made an official statement concerning the Polynesian ancestry. However, there have been many statements made at various times.
At the dedication of the Hawaiian temple by President Heber J. Grant, on November 27, 1919, he said:
“We thank Thee, that thousands and tens of thousands of the descendants of Lehi, in this favored land, have come to a knowledge of the gospel, many of whom have endured faithfully to the end of their lives. We thank Thee, our Father and our God, that those who are living and who have embraced the gospel are now to have the privilege of entering into this holy house, and laboring for the salvation of the souls of their ancestors.”
Dedicatory prayers of temples are considered to be revelatory (see section heading D&C 109). The above prayer does not identify these descendents of Lehi as Hagoth’s people, but other statements of General Authorities and patriarchal blessings do identify them as such (see General Authority Quotes in the end of this chapter).
Dr. Paul R. Cheesman, and his wife Millie, my colleague and good friends, spent many years of research regarding the Polynesian peoples. He gave his purpose in their research: Paul is now deceased.
“The purpose of this chapter has been to bring together collected research, to analyze some of the theories concerning the origin of the Polynesian Islands, with special emphasis on the theory given in the Book of Mormon, namely, an American origin.
In the past, some scientists have rejected an American-Polynesian connection, while others have deliberately avoided exploring the possibility of such a connection. Today, however, there are many leading scientists and ethnologists who concur as to a Polynesian-American relationship. This change has very likely resulted because of more recent archeological findings and more exact scientific methods being available in ethnology, particularly that of blood grouping. We do not claim that all Polynesian people originated from the American Indian. Their culture is cosmopolitan, and we accept the diffusion theory not looking to one independent origin. However, more emphasis can now be placed upon the American origin theory which has been rejected in the past.”
Dr. Cheesman quoted several scholars of today, who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to show the American-Polynesian connection. We will quote just three of them.
“There are innumerable traits in aboriginal American cultures whose parallelism with Oceanic and Asiatic traits is very difficult to explain, except on the grounds of common origin and transference. At the same time there are in Polynesia many traits apparently related to American rather than to western Oceanic or Asiatic culture. In consideration of these facts, as a Pacific ethnologist with an admitted Polynesian bias, I have no hesitation in saying that for me the balance of evidence favours the likelihood of transference of cultural traits from Polynesia to America and vice versa.”
“Thor Heyerdahl’s vivid adventure narrative, the best seller, Kon Tiki, proved that ancient Peruvians could have crossed the Pacific east to west in their pre-historic balsa rafts, a feat once thought to be well nigh impossible. Heyerdahl believes not only that they did this, but that Polynesian population and culture were thus derived from South America, carried about A.D. 500 by the legendary Peruvian culture-hero, the blond god Viracocha and his fellow migrants. Six hundred years later, according to Heyerdahl, “Caucasian-like” but also slightly Mongoloid Kwakiutl Indians from the North American northwest coast invaded Hawaii, merged with the Peruvian migrants, and formed the present Oceanic or Maori-Polynesian race and culture in these islands. He bases this on the resemblance between the pre-Incaic name for Viracocha, said to be “Con-Tici” or “illa Tici,” and the Polynesian god “Tiki”; on what he fancies to be similar art styles in Polynesia and ancient Peru; on early accounts of light-skinned natives on Easter Island, and of fair, bearded, culture heroes in Peru, with fair, bearded, or aquiline-nosed people depicted in South and Central American pre-historic art (whom the Lost Tribes of Israel theorists consider to be Israelites); on the distribution of the sweet potato and the gourd, domesticated on both sides of the Pacific before the European discovery; and on the similarity of art styles between Northwest Coast aboriginal America and Polynesia.”
“His [ Heyerdahl’s] theory is founded on evidence more substantial than legend, for here on certain Pacific islands and atolls where Kon-Tiki is still revered are other appurtenances of his culture: pyramids, for example; also panpipes and helmets; and proof that irrigation, trepanning, and head deformation were practiced. Also these same Pacific islanders knew that the earth was round. ‘Whence,’ asks Heyerdahl, ‘had the Polynesians obtained their vast astronomical knowledge and their calendar, which was calculated with astonishing thoroughness? Certainly not from Melanesian or Malayan peoples to the westward.
But the same old vanished race, the “white and bearded men,” who had taught Aztecs, Mayas, and Incas their amazing culture in America, had evolved a curiously similar calendar and a similar astronomical knowledge which Europe in those times could not match’.”
Certainly there is much evidence of a connection between some of the Polynesians and the Book of Mormon peoples. Hagoth is the only Book of Mormon reference to which the evidence may be connected.