Authenticity of book of mormon lands

Number 1 divine authenticity of the book of mormon by orson pratt one of the twelve apostles of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Roberts, studies of the book of mormon, 2nd edition salt lake city. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon. Here is more evidence showing that the lamanites of the book of mormon are in north america not mezoamerica as published in our book several years ago. Map showing the possible lands and sites of the book of mormon in mesoamerica. Its validity as scripture depends on its being historically authentic. Until we have clearer knowledgeon book of mormon geography.

But roberts discovered from priests book, published in 1824, six years before the first edition of the book of mormon 1830, that it was the almost universal opinion of the ministers of new england and the middle states, that the indians were the descendants of the hebrews studies, p. Limited geography and the book of mormon byu scholarsarchive. This proactive search for antiquities related to the book of mormon reflects the prophet s absolute knowledge of the divine authenticity of book of mormon history, which placed the burden of proof on the skeptic to prove that the lands and ruins in question are not related to the book of mormon. In order to remove these inherent improbabilities and protect the credibility of the book of mormon as authentic. As the article puts it, in short, dna studies cannot be used decisively to either affirm or reject the historical authenticity of the book of mormon. Of all the evidences that support the book of mormon s claim of authenticity some of my favorites are those that deal with ancient literary devices or styles of writing that date back to ancient time periods but can be found littered all throughout the book of mormon proving its ancient origin and not merely a creation of joseph smith jr. I usually focus on the ceremonial ties between the israelites the hopi and those found in mesoamerica or the possible lands of the book of mormon.

I use authenticity as an umbrella term for these issues. It provides a testimony of the visit of jesus christ to the promised land of america after his death and resurrection. According to the text, the nephites and the lamanites initially spoke hebrew 600 bc and might have spoken a modified semitic language until at least 400 ad, when the book of mormon ends. This is known today as the hemi spheric book of mormon geography. Discovering the lost lands of the book of mormon e.

So, this is a list of standard works on book of mormon authenticity, and not just historicity. One important topic bearing upon the issue of animals in the book of mormon is the location of the lands described in the text. Book of mormon geography the encyclopedia of mormonism. Remember we have interspersed paintings, maps, pictures, archaeology, etc throughout the actual text of the book of mormon. Book of mormon religion, spiritualism, and occult the book of mormon is joseph smiths translation of golden plates said to be shown him by the angel moroni beginning on september 21, 1823, in palmyra, new york.

In section two of studies of the book of mormon, entitled. In a similar way, they can be recognized as the beginning of book of mormon archaeology. Phyllis carol olive, the lost lands of the book of mormon, printed by bonneville books, springville, utah, first printing 2000. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as. In utah, the saints saw themselves in book of mormon lands just like they. Intellectual evidence of book of mormon authenticity is an issue worthy of careful consideration. In my travels in the south i have imaginedand i think the imagination is based upon factsthat i have traveled in book of mormon lands and that i have seen ruins of cities and fortifications originally built by the people of which the book of mormon bears record.

Arabia and the book of mormon when one considers the archaeological efforts aimed at learning about the people, places and events of the book of mormon, it is easy to focus on mesoamerican studies while forgetting about the origins of the book of mormon peoples. The book of mormon also makes it clear that baptism was practiced long before the saviors mortal ministry. And if no nephites existed to make them, then either joseph smith, or god, or somebody else seems to have been engaged in simple fraud. The book of mormon geography lands and map with dna evidence. Allen makes convincing arguments in a style that is generally easy to understand. Great signs and wonderswhat caused the destruction and darkness in book of mormon lands.

Nov 14, 2019 this proactive search for antiquities related to the book of mormon reflects the prophets absolute knowledge of the divine authenticity of book of mormon history, which placed the burden of proof on the skeptic to prove that the lands and ruins in question are not related to the book of mormon. Many try to prove the book with archaeological finding. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography. There are times when there is not the opportunity to get a clear understanding of what the traveler saw and these bulletins will help with that understanding. Book of mormon geography in joseph smiths day fairmormon. In ethan smiths view of the hebrews, first published in 1823, seven years before the book of mormon and in a second edition in 1825, roberts discovered a virtual ground plan for the book of mormon. Joseph smith was between the age 23 and 24 years old at the beginning of the translation process. If the book is true, as i believe it is, it should hardly be surprising that serious unresolved questions marks persist in some areas. The book of mormon was written for the intent that we may believe the bible, morm. While traveling with zions camp in 1834, joseph wrote to his wife emma that they were wandering over the plains of the nephites, recounting occasionally the history of the book of mormon, roving over the mounds of that once beloved people of the lord, picking up their skulls and their bones, as a proof of its divine authenticity. Some pages are in low resolution on purpose to save space. Allen, exploring the lands of the book of mormon michael j.

To answer that question ive spent some time compiling a list of evidence for the divinity of the book of mormon. Isaiah chapters were copied straight from the king james, with only a couple changes made by the translator as he went. The lost lands of the book of mormon phyllis carol olive on. Our research has led us to examine possible evidences of the book of mormons history in the lands of north america. The book of mormon west sea and east sea, on the other hand, are proper nouns that is, they are the actual names of bodies of water that situate on the west and on the east respectively, of the lands of zarahemla and nephi. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. This proactive search for antiquities related to the book of mormon reflects the prophets absolute knowledge of the divine authenticity of book of mormon history, which placed the burden of proof on the skeptic to prove that the lands and ruins in question are not related to the book of mormon. Oaks of the quorum of the twelve apostles observed, it is our position that secular evidence can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the book of mormon. May 10, 2011 43 evidences for the divine authenticity of the book of mormon has anyone ever asked you, is there any proof or evidence for the book of mormon. Some have attempted to separate the historical claims made in the book of mormon with its theology.

The book of mormon is full of repeated words and phrases. Miraculous claims surrounding the coming forth of the book of mormon are an evidence of the prophetic calling of joseph smith. Daniel peterson has succinctly laid out the logical problem with this theory. Internal book of mormon geography focuses on the relationships between lands and other geographic features, independent of where they might be physically located on todays maps. Like the church, book of mormon central bmc is officially geography neutral. The debate over the authenticity of the book of mormon. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, members and. Readers of the book of mormon may wonder, at times, where in the americas the events described took place. Mormon s codex by john sorensen is the final word on the geograp. The study of the ancient american horse and elephant points unavoidably to the north american setting for the book of mormon and adds strong supportive evidence that the book of mormon is true, contrary to the attacks of antimormons who say the absence of the horse and elephant in ancient america discounts the book mormons divine authenticity. In historicity and the latterday saints, edited by paul y. Jan 29, 2019 the church takes no position on the specific geographic location of book of mormon events in the ancient americas. The following are actual pages from the final annotated book of mormon. Feb 05, 2018 none of this will satisfy the critics.

An additional criticism of the historical authenticity of the book of mormon concerns linguistics. So the church says we are just waiting until we discover the truth. T he times and seasons featured many articles relating to the topic of book of mormon lands. In our view, an ancient mesoamerican setting is best supported by the information given in the book of mormon. The first group of evidences deal with the plates, the translation, and the witnesses of the book of mormon. They are either lying or just unwilling to consider the mountain of evidence that. The book of mormon geography book, a promised land, the land of promise is available at. Maps moronis america the north american setting for. Mar 06, 2012 the lost lands of the book of mormon phyllis carol olive on. Book of mormongeographystatementsnineteenth century. The book of mormon map described in alma chapter 22 has finally. A mormon general authoritys doubts about the authenticity of.

In 1842, after reading about ancient cities in central america, joseph speculated that book of mormon lands were located there fig. Nelson on the importance the books primary purposeto testify of jesus christ and his gospel. Evidence for authenticity of the book of mormon found in. Purpose of the book of mormon tour helps these single page descriptions of a specific book of mormon site are designed to provide pertinent information to the traveler about the site.

Creating a list of standard works on book of mormon. Arguments for and against the authenticity of the book of mormon. As one who holds no strong views regarding book of mormon geography though i do find it interesting, im concerned at the emergence of disputations between the various theorists, with veiled accusations, even, of disbelief on joseph smiths prophetic mantle. There is no evidence at all that joseph smith did any scholarly research. The expression land of promise in the book of mormon is often cited as an example of ancient hebraic wording and thus as evidence in support of its authenticity as a translation of an ancient collection of israelite scriptures. After several months of intense careful study of the text i have put together the following proposed map, showing the relative positions of book of mormon lands, cities, rivers, etc. Some critics only superficially familiar with the book of mormon have been commenting how this together with genetic discoveries are somehow proof against the authenticity of the book of mormon. The sermon on the mount as recorded in the bible is magnificent, but the account is unclear in some places. Thus the lands the savior walked in the new world is just as sacred as those he walked in the old world. The united states is the promised land book of mormon. Where did they live, thrive, battle, and ultimately face each other in a war that led to the genocide of the nephites.

The book of mormon shall stand as a testimony against the world, ether 5. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. And it was in the morningverifying the longitude of zarahemla new behold i am jesus christ the setting and location of the saviors visit to the people of nephi in the land of bountiful new. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. The book of mormon is more than a history book of the ancient nephite and jaredite nations. Sorenson argues that book of mormon lands and peoples were in central america and southern mexico, an area known as mesoamerica. Arguments againstces letter issues such as wordforword king james bible language, and the mistakes in the king james isaiah being propagated in the book of mormon are a pretty solid argument against authenticity there is little doubt the b. The book of mormon purports to be an inspired and accurate translation of an ancient historical narrative covering more than a thousand years. If the events it records did not happen, and if it is actually modern rather than ancient in origin, then the book of mormon cannot be the word of god. However, i still cannot rule out teotihuacan, the place where men become gods, as being originally settled by the nephites. The examples given here, though sketchy, are presented to offer some of that evidence to all those who seriously inquire after the origins of the book of mormon. For these same reasons, arguments that some defenders of the book of mormon make based on dna studies are also speculative. It was written by prophets anciently, preserved, and translated in our era by the power of god as a tool to bring souls to christ.

It was the birth of the united states of america that ushered out the great apostasy, when the earth was darkened by the absence of prophets and. An argument against the idea that book of mormon lands encompassed all of north and south america was provided by joseph smith. This will give you the chapter summary and show you on the map where that chapters events occurred, what year or range of years they covered, and any traveling that took place. Joseph smith consistently claimed that he translated the book of mormon from a set of ancient golden plates which were delivered to him by an angel. We notice that the configuration of lands, seas, mountains, and other natural features in mesoamerica are a tight fit with the internal requirements of the text. But keep in mind that horses in the book of mormon are one of the biggest weaknesses in a book abounding with strengths. Church releases statement on book of mormon geography book.

One of the more remarkable linguistic evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon as a translation from an ancient text lies in the isaiah variants found in it. Joseph smith and the beginning of book of mormon archaeology did the prophet joseph smith in 1842 locate book of mormon lands in middle america. Rodney meldrum, dna evidence for book of mormon geography. This insight has shifted the whole debate in recent years. For a full transcript of the discourse, see appendix 3 in this volume. We testify that the book of mormon is a sacred historical record of real people and events that occurred somewhere in the americas. First, joseph did not know exactly where book of mormon lands were.

The holy ghost will tell you the truth of all things. Click the link below to explore my interactive map of book of mormon lands and artifacts including links. Thoughts on evidences for the historical authenticity of. Roberts 18571933, an lds general authority widely considered mormonisms greatest apologist and historian, 1 expressed the grave doubt that the book of mormon is a translation of ancient. In the hebrew background of the book of mormon, john tvedtnes asserts that the book of mormon uses words in ways typical of hebrew. Such maps can be a useful introduction for those who are new to the book of mormon. In short, dna studies cannot be used decisively to either affirm or reject the historical authenticity of the book of mormon. Mormon apologist joseph vincent, editor of california archaeologist, explained at a 1963 byu symposium that all book of mormon lands lie within a five or six hundred mile radiusand could not possibly extend from chile to new york. Divine authenticity of the book of mormon internet archive. Church addresses book of mormon geography in new topics. Every page from the book of mormon is included in the 600 page volume. Of particular interest are those articles published while the prophet held the title of official editor march 15, to november 15, 1842.

Book of mormon lands january 12, 2015 several times our followers have commented that they wish the church would make an official statement about where the book of mormon lands are located to remove the confusion that exists about them being located in mezoamerica. Signature books, 1992, 377 pages, paperback, isbn 1560850272 incredible as it may seem to many latterday saints, brigham h. The value of the book of mormon, historical background of the plates, and the title page are all discussed. The efforts to read the book of mormon as inspired fiction may be wellmeaning, but they are logically incoherent. In his 1952 essay lehi in the desert, hugh nibley illuminated lehis land. This significant volume, a large book of 437 pages with 147 maps, is a pleasure to read. Isaiah variants in the book of mormon religious studies. Isbn 1555175104, library of congress catalog number 9498119. Orson pratt, 18111881 divine authenticity of the book of mormon numbers liverpool, 1850. Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 volume 3number 1 article 3 1991 joseph l.

He likely used the same lengthy discourse at the many venues he visited, which was printed as ancient ruins in south american lands held to be evidence of divine authenticity of book of mormon, deseret news, june 2, 1923, 7. Shortly after stephens publications hit the book market in 1841, joseph received a copy as a gift and commented in his personal journal history about its importance to the book of mormon. For the most current treatment, discussion and map of the setting visit. This book locates everything from the narrow neck, to zarahemla, from cumorah, to the land of promise, bountiful. Church members are asked not to teach theories about book of mormon geography in church settings but to focus instead on the book of mormons teachings and testimony of jesus christ and his gospel. Were the nephites and lamanites spread throughout both north and south america or did book of mormon events occur within a more confined area.

Chiasmus, mesoamerican evidences, cement, olives, ancient names like alma, and other evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon a divine ancient record from the new world that testifies of jesus christ. Once the prophets have spoken, there are no other options, and they have. How the book of mormon is another testament of jesus christ, how its biblical allusions and its affirmations of gods dealings with man establish the truth of the bible. Update on horses in the book of mormon mormanity a mormon. Many latterday saint scholars who believe in the divinity and historicity. I found the article very interesting to read and it does a very good job at explaining, very simply, the complexity. A mormon general authoritys doubts about the authenticity. The debate over the authenticity of the book of mormon midgley, louis c no middle ground. Jan 05, 2014 nonetheless, they are not identical and it is important not to confuse arguments for one as arguments for the others. The book itself claims to be an ancient record of gods dealings with a remnant of the house of israel in the new world.

I noticed that some of the wikipedia entries on the subject of socalled book of mormon archaeology were largely written and sourced by antimormons, eager to decree the case closed against the authenticity of the book of mormon. Many of these repetitions have to do with poetic structures called parallelisms. Although the book of mormon is primarily a religious record of the nephites, lamanites, and jaredites, enough geographic details are embedded in the narrative to allow reconstruction of at least a rudimentary geography of book of mormon lands. The final test of our views of book of mormon geography will be archaeological work in the ground. The book of mormon itself is the best source for understanding the geographical locations contained therein. These hebraisms, as i will call them, are evidence of the authenticity of the book of mormon sorenson 1991, 77. The purpose of the book of mormon is to convince the world that jesus is the christ, our lord and redeemer. Why arent there any evidences of book of mormon authenticity. Correlation and verification through dna, prophetic, scriptural, historical, climatological, archaeological, social, and cultural. If fake, the ancient cities described in it are nonexistent. The land of zarahemla is at a lower elevation relative to the land of nephi.

Mar 07, 2018 arguments againstces letter issues such as wordforword king james bible language, and the mistakes in the king james isaiah being propagated in the book of mormon are a pretty solid argument against authenticity there is little doubt the b. See my answers to questions about the book of mormon here. I still think there is a serious problem of imprinting a particular geographyeven an abstract onebut if the people involved accept the scripture on faith alone, they may never care about the realworld geography, so a mental abstract map is no problem. Since the translation of the book of mormon, members of the church and critics alike have speculated about the geography of the events detailed within its pages. Where did the nephites and lamanites land on the american continents. Why is the book of mormons historical authenticity so. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in transition. Book of mormon record keepers were primarily concerned with conveying religious truths and preserving the spiritual heritage of their people. Searching for book of mormon lands allen, joseph l. Critics continue to make the claim that there are no evidences for the authenticity of the book of mormon.

Jan 29, 2019 the article concludes by emphasizing the churchs neutrality on book of mormon geography and quoting president russell m. Jesus christs sermon on the mount receives some clarification in the book of mormon. Discovering the lost lands of the book of mormon book of. Archaeology, relics, and book of mormon belief john e. What mormons say about land of promise as a hebraism in the book of mormon. Evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon book. Exploring the lands of the book of mormon ought to be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in book of mormon geography. That, plus joseph smiths 1842 endorsement of the yucatan travels book that, plus the lidar imaging of 3 4 years ago over northern guatemala, where the billions of laser beams penetrated the jungle canopy and revealed 60,000 cement homes.

These principal book of mormon lands are southward from the land northward mentioned in helaman 3. Archaeology, relics, and book of mormon belief book of. The united states is the promised land foretold in the book of mormon continuing, he wrote, a place where divine guidance directed inspired men to create the conditions necessary for the restoration of the gospel of jesus christ. Exploring the lands of the book of mormon byu studies. Arguments for and against the authenticity of the book of. The study of the ancient american horse and elephant points unavoidably to the north american setting for the book of mormon and adds strong supportive evidence that the book of mormon is true, contrary to the attacks of antimormons who say the absence of the horse and elephant in ancient america discounts the book mormon s divine authenticity. New scientific support for the truthfulness of the book of mormon.