John L. Sorenson

John Leon Sorenson (April 8, 1924 – December 8, 2021) was an American anthropologist, scholar and author.

[1][2] He first performed archaeological work in Mesoamerica while pursuing a master's degree at BYU.

From January to June 1953, he was involved in the New World Archaeological Foundation's initial fieldwork (under the direction of Pedro Armillas) in the state of Tabasco in Mexico.

For a time, he served as editor of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies.

He authored or co-authored some 200 books and articles, including Mormon's Codex: An Ancient American Book (2013), An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon (1985), Transoceanic Culture Contacts between the Old and New Worlds in Pre-Columbian Times: A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography (with Martin Raish, 1988), Images of Ancient America: Visualizing Book of Mormon Life (1998), Mormon’s Map (2000), and World Trade and Biological Exchanges before 1492 (with Carl L. Johannessen, 2004).