Book of Mormon Tours has been operated by the Allen family since 1970. We are the “Pioneers” of the Book of Mormon tour concept. We have taken more tours to Mesoamerica to compare the ancient sites and civilizations with the Book of Mormon than any other tour operator.
Dr. Joseph L. Allen (1935-2023) took the first tour to Mexico in 1970. At the time he was serving as Director of the LDS Institute of Religion at El Paso, Texas. Joseph was a student of Mayan History, ancient languages, and the Book of Mormon. His doctoral dissertation was on the subject of the white god Quetzalcoatl.
In 1978, the company was known as Middle America Tours and it became the largest company to conduct tours to the lands of the Book of Mormon, an area today known as Mesoamerica. Middle America Tours was the wholesale operators for such companies as BYU Travel Study, Murdock Travel, and the Foundation of Ancient Research in Mormon Studies.
In 1989, the book, Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, written by Dr. Allen was published. It was used as a textbook by Dr. Bruce Warren in a course at BYU called Archaeology and the Scriptures.
In 2008, the new second edition of Exploring the Lands of the Book of Mormon, with authors Joseph and Blake, and edited by Dr. Ted Stoddard was published. This new 919-page book is expected to be the encyclopedia of Book of Mormon history and geography for years to come.
In 1996, Blake, the eldest son of Joseph returned to the family business and administered the affairs of the office. When he was ten years old, he accompanied his father to Mexico where he (his father) did research for his doctoral dissertation. That was the beginning of an experience of a lifetime for the Allen family. Blake spent many summers with his family traveling through the country of Mexico where he gained an appreciation and love for the Hispanic people, their culture, and their history.
His schooling in accounting is manifested in his tours as he pays attention to details. His knowledge of the history of the Book of Mormon in relation to Mesoamerica is admirable. He is fluent in the Spanish language. In this same year, the name of the company was changed from Middle America Tours to Book of Mormon Tours. Blake is now owner of Book of Mormon Tours.
Blake served a mission in the Chile Santiago South Mission from 1979 to 1981. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting at Southern Utah University with minors in both Business Administration and Spanish. He has been taking tours to Mexico and Guatemala for more than 25 years and has taken more than 150 tours. He has a love of the Book of Mormon and enjoys being able to share those feelings with others. He and his wife Marion live in Richfield, Utah. They have six children and twenty grandchildren.
Our mission statement is that the Book of Mormon is a true account of two major civilizations that lived in the New World during Pre-Colombian times. It’s message is to teach Christ and His Atonement. We believe that the more we understand about the history, language, culture, and geography of the Book of Mormon, the more we understand the Book of Mormon. We have chosen Travel and Research to pursue this goal. We invite you to join us in exploring the lands of the Book of Mormon.
Let the Book of Mormon change your life…Again! ®
Book of Mormon Tours
PO Box 938 • Richfield, UT 84701 • Telephone: (801) 226-5200 • Email: BookOfMormonTours@gmail.com • www.bookofmormontours.com
