While there is still much to learn about the people and stories in the book of mormon, some of the best archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon comes from lehis journey to the promised land. There are several theories held among latterday saints for the location of book of mormon lands. While mormon scholars admit valid challenges to mormonism from archaeology and the book of abraham, they say the evidences of mormonisms truthfulness is the book of mormon itself, gods confirmation in your spirit, and the number of changed lives. 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. Remarkable book of mormon evidences hidden in plain sight. The geography of the book of mormon has been a complex issue with multiple factors involved. This view finds no acceptance outside of mormonism. Join wayne may and ryan fisher for a book of mormon archaeology tour of cumorahland. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Internal consistency taken to a new level transcript available here. Actually there is lots of evidence for joseph smiths book of mormon archaeology. Clark, a respected authority on the archaeology of precolumbian mesoamerica, teaches at brigham young university. It is a common claim by critics that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon.
Archaeology has much to offer as a scientific means of gathering independent evidence of the book of mormon s authenticity. Mormon cultural belief regarding book of mormon archaeology archaeological evidence of large populations. Questions about book of mormon evidence jeff lindsay. Book of mormon central archaeological evidence for the book. 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. Support is very different than prove, and even though there is. One of the best ways to test the book of mormon s historical authenticity is to look at its names. This is the battlefield tour youve been waiting for. Wayne may presents several powerful evidences at the october 20 book of mormon evidence conference in support of the theory that the jaredite civilization of the book of ether are the descendants of ham, the son of noah. 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. This compilation of groundbreaking book of mormon articles is selected from over fifty years of lds scholarship published by byu studies. How manifest destiny destroyed book of mormon evidence. Other similarities between near eastern and aztec language are currently being.
Further, there is currently no archaeological evidence of american bison having been domesticated. Dean sessions how practical scientific applications of the um help us learn truth. Apologetics press the book of mormon and the ancient evidence. The evidence for ancient origins paperback june 1, 1997. In assessing the broad impact of jack welchs discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon, robert smith concludes.
In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very presuppositions. Nov 01, 2002 the amazing achievements of the last hundred years in technology and science are paralleled by significant strides in book of mormon studies. Actually, uto aztecan shouldnt even be the claimed relation. The book of mormon describes three migrations of people from the middle east to america. Archaeology itself can be divided and subdivided into numerous disciplines.
Before delving into archaeological matters, it is helpful to take a step back and consider what archaeological evidence means in relation to the book of mormon. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith. Tyler griffin, book of mormon geographical references. There is little doubt that a true blossoming of such studies has taken place in. In the last chapter we saw that the bible is reliable, being textually pure and verifiably accurate in many places.
New evidence for the book of mormon name sariah 1 nephi 2. Book of mormon archaeology is real, authentic, scientifically researched, a proven fact. The factitious unsupported idea that joseph suffered from a mental illness. Joseph lovell allen true book of mormon geography lands. The book of mormon makes a handful of references to horses existing on the american continents in these ancient times. Watch book of mormon centrals new video on one of the best examples of archaeological evidence we have for the book of mormon. Book of mormon evidence streaming faithfully exploring.
Echoes and evidences of the book of mormon takes inventory of some of the most fascinating ancient elements of the book of mormon. Ancient israelites did come to america over 2400 years ago. Archaeology, relics, and book of mormon belief byu. Brian stubbs lehite language evidence in native american languages. Some place the geography of the book in upstate new york or near the great lakes. The facts are undeniable how certain the church was that all native americans south, center, north were connected to the lamanites until that narrative could not be sustained anymore. The theory that the book of mormon is an ancient american history is not accepted as scientifically verifiable by the mainstream. Dean sessions latter day saint creationism the doctrine and science. A cautionary tale is the failed cluff expedition of 1900, which, assuming a hemispheric model of book of mormon geography, traveled from provo as far as colombia looking for the city zarahemla. As a final check of the book s historical authenticity, i consider a long list of frequently voiced complaints.
In 2005, he published an article on archaeology and the book of mormon titled archaeology, relics and book of mormon belief see archaeology, relics, and book of mormon belief, journal of book of mormon studies 142 2005 publications. Claims book of mormon archaeology is based upon scant evidence is deception for the masses. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very. 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.
How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith duration. Its preclassic mayan of which we have relatively little text and dont understand as well that matches, and it does, with king name matches, place name matches, and the actual maya culture explains the actions and motivations of the lamanites and later even the nephites in some rather strange situaltions. When talking to mormons, expect to hear them say, i know the book. Evidence, proof, and belief before delving into archaeological matters, it is helpful to take a step back and consider what archaeological evidence means in relation to the book of. As another example of a scholarly perspective on archaeological evidence for the. These are raised stone causeways raising 2 to 6 meters above the level of the surrounding landscape and measuring from 20 to 50 meters wide. Lost civilizations of north america documentary4, deborah bolnick on haplogroup x. Evidences in proof of the book of mormon by charles thompson, minister of the gospel. At least they are not wed in reality since no book of mormon location is known with reference to modern topography. Book of mormon evidence come follow me supplementary study podcasts.
These carvings give incredible archaeological evidence and testify to the world that the resurrected jesus christ did come to the western hemisphere in 34 a. Is there archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Wayne may presents the supporting evidence for the heartland model, that the book of mormon nephites and jaredites lived in north america. Along with my own insights ive provided evidence from archaeologists, historians, gospel scholars, and others who have made such study the.
Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Quarterly articles and internet articles on book of mormon history, language, culture, and geography allen, joseph l. I couldnt possibly cover every book of mormon correlation in one. If the book of mormon is really true history, then even after 1500 years, there should be some evidence that would support the truthfulness of those historical scriptural events, as recorded in the book of mormon. Book of mormon evidence by an archaeologist youtube. David doane blood, dirt, and the fullness of the gospel. Archaeological and historical evidence evidences of the. To begin looking for archaeological evidence you have to know where to look. But since the book of mormon is so hugely and internally selffalsifying, it predicts. We believe it did, and startling new scriptural, prophetic, physical, and dna evidences strongly point to the location of the book of mormon taking place in.
Many members of the latter day saint movement claim historical authenticity of the book of mormon. One last topic on the subject of archaeological evidence for the book of mormon that i want to talk about is horses. Deanna draper buck, internal evidence of widespread literacy in the book of mormon, religious educator 10, no. All opinions, speakers and presenters represent and express their own individual opinions, and not necessarily the opinions of firm foundation, book of mormon evidence, or its employees, and no information or opinions represent the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Deanna draper buck was a support specialist for seminaries and institutes of religion in louisville, kentucky when this was written. A journal of latterday saint faith and scholarship. Recently, i went through the book of mormon with a different focusi wanted to determine how many evidences were found in the book of mormon itself supporting the fact that it was translated from an ancient document and not written by joseph smith in the early 19th century. Most, but not all, mormons hold the book s connection to ancient american history as an article of their faith. Many of the evidences have quietly faded away in mormon lore. Mar 26, 2016 the material below covers the geography of the book of mormon in north america.
Have mormonfunded archaeological digs refuted mormonism. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. Book of mormon evidence in american archaeology wayne may. The changing face of missing evidence for the book of mormon. The factitious unsupported idea that the book of mormon was plagiarized from other books. If the book of mormon is an authentic historical record of real people, language, and cultures, then we would expect to find tangible evidences that corroborate itunless of course it is a work of joseph smiths imagination. The factitious unsupported idea that someone else wrote the book of mormon. No direct geographical, archaeological or any other scientific field supports fictional narratives.
David hocking managing editor, annotated edition of the book of mormon. Come follow me 2020 podcasts with rod meldrum book of. Similar claims issued by the lds church prompted mormon anthropologist dee green to say, the first myth we need to eliminate is that book of mormon archaeology exists, even conceding that 20 years of research left us emptyhanded green, 1969, pp. Archaeological and historical evidence where did the book. I have watched more than 20 hours of wayne may book of mormon lecture videos and conversed with both wayne may and rod meldrum in person.
For many years now, latterday saint scholars have called attention to significant parallels in the book of mormon with the ancient world that in many cases were unknowable in the world of joseph smith. Bookofmormonarchaeology 2000 evidences for the book of mormon. Honestly, i feel like looking for archaeological evidence of the book of mormon is like looking for a needle in a field full of haystacks, half of. And to be less sardonic about the matter, this is also why direct evidence actually can sometimes di. Archaeological and historical evidence the valley of nimrod. To the south, the lower tigruseuphates delta area is only about 50 feet above sea level, while near baghdad it rises to about 150 feet. The use of harold blooms description of joseph smith as a religious genius in this video may mislead viewers into thinking bloom was referring directly to the book of mormon. Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon. Is there any direct geographical and archaeological evidence that proves the book of mormon.
Each of its unique names has now been looked at by scholars with linguistic training, and it. Standard arguments against the book concern things mentioned in the text not found archaeologically, such as gold plates. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. Numerous observers have suggested that the book of mormon appears to be a work of fiction that parallels others within the 19thcentury moundbuilder genre that was pervasive at the time. Sorensons theory is detailed in his book, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, op. For example, when the book was first published, it was commonly thought that native american indians had never achieved the level of civilization as defined in the book ancient society by lewis henry morgan which had become the handbook of instruction for the us government in dealing with the. Yet, the book of mormon consistently ignores such supposed bullseyes, which is good news for proponents of the book of mormon s authenticity, since virtually all of ethans evidences have been judged to be false or misleading. Supporting evidences of the book of mormon are broadly identifiable. The evidence is considerably stronger based on that fact that. Therefore, the mormon can have confidence that the bible is the word of god and that it can be accurately translated. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on not only the subject of archaeology, but also on the reality of both biblical and book of mormon archaeology.
Mormon scholars have estimated that at various periods in book of mormon history, the populations of civilizations discussed in the book ranged between 300,000 and 1. 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. Jun 17, 2017 watch book of mormon centrals new video on one of the best examples of archaeological evidence we have for the book of mormon. With new and exciting insights, pages full of thoughtful comparisons, and compelling illustrations, decoding ancient america will capture the interest of anyone curious about book of mormon archaeology. This tour has been years in the making as we have searched out ancient remains of indian forts that date to nephite times located around the hill cumorah battlefield. In this post i wanted to emphasize physical evidencesstuff you can touch, see, feel. Others look to peru and south america, or to the baja peninsula, or texas, and some even propose the malaysian peninsula. The book of mormon is a vast and epic story that spans hundreds of years on two continents while detailing the rise and fall of unique, previously unheard of civilizations. Contrary to the claims of our critics, there are impressive findings that make it difficult to explain away the book of mormon as a nineteenthcentury. Book of mormon evidences, part 3 presents further evidence supporting the book of mormon as an ancient document. Watch presentations about american archaeology and its parallels to the book of mormon civilizations.
As always, i invite you to study the issues, evaluate what we know and what we dont know, and pray for the guidance. 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. Although historians and archaeologists consider the book to be an anachronistic invention of joseph smith, many members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church and other denominations of the latter day saint movement believe that it. Have mormon funded archaeological digs refuted mormonism. This compares biblical and book of mormon archaeology, and what we can learn from both. This page is a continuation of book of mormon evidences, part one and part two. In this post i wanted to emphasize physical evidences stuff you can touch, see, feel.
The factitious unsupported idea that joseph smith was a creative genius who, wrote the book. Joseph smith claimed he translated the book of mormon from a set of golden plates that were given to him by an angel named moroni. Are there any archaeological evidences that would suggest the book s validity or is this merely a laughable text to archaeologists. Boyd tuttle out of darkness into light a decade of discovery in book of mormon research. Archaeology, relics and book of mormon belief deseret news. If you would like to watch the presentations from the conference we had earlier this year, you can still purchase video streaming. The book of mormon spoke of cement being used which was impossible because they didnt have cement back then until cement buildings were uncovered at teotihuacan. 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. Jun 09, 2017 illuminating the credibility of the book of mormon through archaeological photographs. This is another in my series of article on challenging questions that missionaries will likely face. Ken krogue levels of scripture study and the isaiah chapters of the book of mormon trailer. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon. The book of mormon was translated from reformed egyptian on gold plates. Jan 27, 20 dr john clark discusses several issues critics have brought up with the book of mormon, and shows how archaeology now shows the critics to be wrong.
Archaeology research in precolumbian americas and the book of mormon. Come see a live presentation on archaeological discoveries and their correlation to the book of mormon cultures. Here you find the photographic, archaeological, and biblical. The egyptian symbols for holy, heaven, all, and god are similar to ancient mikmaq glyphs found in canada. These facts establish how plausible it is that the book of mormon really is an artifact of the ancient world. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the. The volume has long invited scrutiny from all branches of science. Oct 24, 2014 the book of mormon and archaeology by dr. Today we will talk about some common criticisms of the book of mormon around archaeological evidence that some say proves or disproves the truthfulness of the book of mormon. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the book of. Archaeology, relics, and book of mormon belief by john e. Needless to say, the impact of this groundbreaking discovery in 1967 still resonates in book of mormon and archaeology studies today. Archaeology is in fact, physical evidence that supports the truthfulness of a historical event.
He established the new world archaeological foundation, where his role as. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Due to the nature of its origin, that would support the existence of god. For example, when the book was first published, it was commonly thought that native american indians had never achieved the level of civilization as defined in the book ancient society by lewis henry morgan which had become the handbook of instruction for the us government in dealing with. The fourth part looks closely at lehis journey with what we know from modern archaeology, how the culture as described in the book of mormon lines up with mesoamerican culture, and how the discussions of warfare in the book match what we know. Archaeological evidence for 7 locations on lehis journey. I couldnt possibly cover every book of mormon correlation in one sitting.
Archaeological evidence of the book of mormon latterday. The list of anachronisms that proved that the book of mormon was a 19th century fabrication has been whittled down from 65 to 2. If playback doesnt begin shortly, try restarting your device. 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. Book of mormon archaeology and anthropology byu studies. Anyone here familiar with the church of jesus christ of latter day saints aka mormons and their book of mormon. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. The heartland model or heartland theory of book of mormon geography postulates that the events described in the book of mormon took place, primarily, in the heartland of north america among its proposals are that mound builders, including the hopewell and the adena, were among those peoples described in accounts of events in book of mormon books such as alma and helaman. 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 migrations. Top 10 archaeological evidences for the book of mormon. Archaeology and the book of mormon a brief article by michael ash at the website. Internal evidence of widespread literacy in the book of mormon.
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