In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove. When they say directly support, they typically mean that they are looking for a direct corroboration, such as the presence of the name nephi or zarahemla in association with. When they say directly support, they typically mean that they are looking for a direct corroboration, such as the presence of the name nephi or zarahemla in association with ancient american archaeological data. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the. However, there exists no credible archaeological evidence to support the notion that the book of mormon is a record of highly literate ancient american people of hebrew descent. As a result, signed copies of this book will be in short supply. One must go back to joseph smith himself and the milieu in which he lived to find an answer. These relate to artifacts, animal, plant, or technology that critics believe did not exist in the americas during the book of mormon time period before 2500 bc to about 400 ad.
John sorenson noted, the firstcenturybc appearance of cement in the book of mormon agrees strikingly with the archaeology of central mexico. Oct 24, 2014 this video will help you understand that the foundation of the lds faith is built upon myth. New evidence for the book of mormon name sariah 1 nephi 2. The book of mormon is supposed to be a history of real people living in a real place.
Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon. It is a common claim by critics that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon. Book of mormon archaeology in north america home facebook. New light from ancient yemen, journal of book of mormon studies 8, no. Therefore, the mormon can have confidence that the bible is the word of god and that it can be accurately translated. No direct geographical, archaeological or any other scientific field supports fictional. Is the book of mormon authenticated by archaeology.
Book of mormon evidence in american archaeology wayne may. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon why is there no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. There is no proof in language, dna and archeology for the book of mormon and its claims. Blake ostler, a respected mormon scholar, states that in my view, there is not and cannot be any book of mormon archaeology until we find at least one place or object that we can say with some certitude derives from book of mormon peoples. In the book of mormon region, none of this appears until the 9th century a. Joseph allen is leading both land tours and cruises into the lands of the book of mormon for meridian trips. That joseph smith and successive generations of mormon presidents and apostles taught that the nephites and lamanites ranged over all or most of south and north america and fought a battle to. If we read the mormon book, we find that in mormon 6. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. Foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, 1985, p. T he book of mormon is advertized by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints as another testament of jesus christ and specifically of the account of his supposed visit to the american continent the book of mormon, 3 nephi 11. This video will help you understand that the foundation of the lds faith is built upon myth. The jaredites in the book of mormon, who came over at the time of. Discussion regarding the historicity of the book of mormon often focuses on archaeological issues, some of which relate to the large size and the long time span of the civilizations mentioned in the book.
In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very. Most scholars reject the idea of viewing the book of mormon as a historical record. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon. Book of mormon archaeology gives evidence for the heartland model of the book of mormon location. The book of mormon is really there so one can have book of mormon studies, and archaeology is really there so one can study archaeology, but the two are not wed. Once again, patience transformed this into a nonissue. Below is the modern map of the area of smiths youth. Jan, 2016 lecture 01 book of mormon like nothing else hugh nibley mormon duration. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. In the paper revisiting sariah at elephantine, neal rappleye, a research project manager here at book of mormon central, explains that scholars have identified a jewish woman named. So many physical pieces of the puzzle have been found, but there are always going to be missing pieces, because we are talking about an ancient civilization that got wiped out. Further, there is currently no archaeological evidence of american bison having been domesticated. The book of mormon does not say that all the natives in the new world were either lamanites or nephites.
And to be less sardonic about the matter, this is also why direct evidence actually can sometimes di. This compilation of groundbreaking book of mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of lds scholarship published by byu studies. When they say directly support, they typically mean that they are looking for a direct corroboration, such as the presence of the name nephi or zarahemla in association with ancient. As has been reported elsewhere here and here, the new entry in the gospel topics section book of mormon geography states, the church takes no position on the specific geographic location of.
Is there archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. During the period of 195961, nwaf colleague dee green was editor of the byu archaeological society newsletter and had an article from it published in the summer of 1969 edition of dialogue. Atop it a fence of timbers was planted and bound together with vines. Though the nwaf failed to establish book of mormon archaeology, the archaeological investigations of nwafsponsored projects were a success for ancient american archaeology in general which has been recognized and appreciated by nonmormon archaeologists. Though argument does not create conviction, lack of it destroys belief. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church and other denominations of the latter day saint movement generally believe that the book of mormon describes ancient historical events in the americas, but historians and archaeologists. This article list many mormon archeologist that claim there is no evidence to support the book of mormon claims concerning indigenous native americans and culture. For reasons i understand, this is a frequently asked question. Watch presentations about american archaeology and its parallels to the book of mormon civilizations. Skeptics can always fall back on the missing puzzle pieces and claim no archaeological evidence exists. There is no historical or archeological evidence to support the book of mormon. No direct geographical, archaeological or any other scientific field supports fictional narratives. A journal of latterday saint faith and scholarship.
Sorenson, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, salt lake city. Come see a live presentation on archaeological discoveries and their correlation to the book of mormon cultures. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. The book of mormon was written for the purpose of convincing those who are sincere abou. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in transition.
Why is there no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. The book of mormon describes a ditch being dug around the protected area. Book of mormon thought false by lds memberarchaelogist. Before delving into archaeological matters, it is helpful to take a step back and consider. In the last chapter we saw that the bible is reliable, being textually pure and verifiably accurate in many places. If the book is accurate, archaeologists would expect to find numerous pieces of hard evidence in central america that confirm the presence of these societies. Actually, there is one, and that one is a personal revelation from god that the book of mormon is true. Welch pointed out that no archeologist in 1829 could have known how accurately the dating of this technological adaptation correlated with what was happening on the ground. Oct 25, 2008 this article list many mormon archeologist that claim there is no evidence to support the book of mormon claims concerning indigenous native americans and culture. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in. What i would say to you is there is no archaeological proof of the book of mormon. Most hordeum pusillum has been found in iowa, dating back to around 2,500 years ago. Therefore, there is a consensus from professional archaeologists, mormon and nonmormon alike, that there is no specific confirmation of the. Critics of the book of mormon have argued that there are words and phrases in the book that are anachronistic with archaeological findings.
Uncle sams chin beard, however, is airbrushed into the shoulder. In a times and seasons editorial, october 1, 1842, the prophet joseph smith, after progressive study. A contemporary mormon view is that these civilizations rose and fell in mesoamerica. That very arrangement is now well documented archaeologically an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, provo, utah. The book of mormon lands fit in mesoamerica and no where else. No archaeological evidence in favor or against can debunk a solid testimony that comes from god. Book of mormon archaeology and geography meridian magazine. Not only have cement structures been identified throughout mesoamerica, but as dr.
Book of mormon geography is predominantly in north america. Again, it seems that young joseph smith did not think through such details. Now he goes into nauvoo and draws some loose connections with doors facing west on a native american temple. There is no specific confirmation of the book of mormon from archaeology. He established the new world archaeological foundation, where his role as.
Before delving into archaeological matters, it is helpful to take a step back. Archaeology, relics, and book of mormon belief john e. Bennett, the history of the saints, or, an expose of joe smith and mormonism boston. Book of mormon central archaeological evidence for the. It seems that book of mormon archaeology has shifted away from looking for the big discovery and towards building a nonfalsifiable explanation for the book of mormon peoples existence. Official statement on book of mormon geography and its. Archaeology and the book of mormon, presentation at the 2005 fair apologetics conference august 2005. This common query often expresses the questioners incorrect assumptions about archaeological methodology assumptions usually based the questioners lack of knowledge about a very specialized academic area. According to joseph smith and subsequent presidents and apostles of the lds church, the geographical extent of book of mormon lands included virtually all of north and south america.
First published in 1830, the book of mormon tells of the transoceanic. Thereve been books written by mormon scholars saying that this event took place here or this event took place here. Other people can use the explanation to justify that their religion hasnt been 100% disproved by evidence even if the explanation is somewhat weak in places. Im going to first answer the question, and then explain my answer and offer background. Coe here intentionally avoid archeologyand the real worldby seeking to keep the argument strictly within the text itself, by reinterpreting the book of mormon, by saying that the book of mormon didnt really mean what it says that horse doesnt mean horse, cow doesnt mean cow, elephant doesnt mean. There is no historical or archeological evidence to support the book of. Many lds believers and apologists respond to the critics assertions of no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon with a claim that a location mentioned in the book of mormon has been found, but not in america, but rather one of the locations lehi and his party traveled through after leaving jerusalem. Civilizations of their magnitude and duration would be expected to leave extensive archaeological records. Further, church leaders discourage attempts to align the book of mormon. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. October 1st is the anniversary of a little known event in early church history that i believe, in consequence of significant research progress, now deserves recognition for identifying a region of major book of mormon lands and for initiating book of mormon archaeological historicity research. A response to wayne may book of mormon archaeology in. The life of joseph smith, the mormon prophet new york. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in.
Smiths book lists bellows, brass, chains, copper, gold, iron, molten ore, plows, silver and swords. At least they are not wed in reality since no book of mormon location is known with reference to modern topography. However, the church has no position on the location lands of the book of mormon, so quoting historic church leaders proves nothing. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Lecture 01 book of mormon like nothing else hugh nibley mormon duration. Two of the most prevalent claims for the book of mormon are, there is much archaeological proof to the book of mormon, and the american indians are descendants of israelites who came to america as described in the book of mormon.
A journal of mormon thought, pp 7678 in which he acknowledged that the nwaf findings did not back up the veracity of the book of mormon claims. There is absolutely no archaeological evidence to directly support the book of mormon or the nephites and lamanites, who were supposed to have numbered in the millions. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon. The term horse in the book might really have referred to a deer that people rode. A groundbreaking study on the relationship between the book of. See the article entitled introduction that appears in the front of editions of the book of mormon from 1981 to the present. Just because no artifacts have been found that support the book of mormon, that is no proof that future artifacts will not be found which verify the book. The author lives in australia and after a short author tour in the us has no current plans to return. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints have a new authoritative statement from church leaders on book of mormon geography.
Welch pointed out that no archeologist in 1829 could have known how accurately the dating of this. For popular critical stances towards joseph smith and the book of mormon, see john c. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the book of. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted. Lots and lots of hopewell, but its moot if weve already shown the hoepwell dont correspond with the timeline or genetic makeup of the peoples described in the book of mormon. Does the book of mormon contain any new doctrine that is not already in the. Welcome to the book of mormon archaeological forum. Thomas stuart ferguson lay in his hammock, certain that he had found.
This volume features articles on archaeological and anthropological aspects of the book of mormon, such as the use of the wheel in ancient america, hagoth and the polynesian tradition, the mulekites, ancient writing in the americas, and the use of metal. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon. The book of mormon describes migrations of people from the middle east to central america, and further describes some features of their civilizations in the new world. A groundbreaking study on the relationship between the book of mormon and genetic studies of native americans. As we begin to explore mormon archaeology, it seems appropriate to introduce the fascinating history of thomas ferguson, an attorney by trade, whose true passion manifest as an amateur archaeologist who dedicated decades of his life to the search for evidence to validate the book of mormon as a historical record. Does the book of mormon have archaeology to back up any of. To begin looking for archaeological evidence you have to know where to look. There is no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. No non mormon specialist in new world archaeology supports the premise of a. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. Back on the ground, ferguson and sorenson set out by jeep for a 10day survey.
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