Direct archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. The book of mormon describes a vast precolumbian culture that supposedly existed for centuries in north and south america. Yes, there is sufficient evidences from all the sciences and scholarship to support the book of mormon as a true book, given by the power and glory of god. People with strong immune systems can probably weather a bout with covid19, but the babies and oldsters among us are best left isolated and unexposed. Dont expect proof for any religion or matter of faith, but yes, there are many issues that support the concept that the book of mormon is of ancient origin and not a silly fraud by joseph smith.
Archaeological and historical evidence where did the book. 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. Critics who contend the book of mormon has no archaeological evidence are simply uninformed. 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. The critics have tried to dismiss this evidence, making some serious errors along the way. The critics like to claim that there is no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon, but the truth is that there is scant archaeological data to tell us anything about the names of ancient new world inhabitants or locationsand names are the only means by which we could archaeologically identify whether there were nephites in ancient. 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. In addressing the absence of any archeological or anthropological evidence of the bom, the apologists make the following statement.
Despite the controversial nature of the book of mormon premise of a precolumbian civilization of hebrew immigrants, official mormon promotional literature continues to claim archaeological support for 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. First, joseph did not know exactly where book of mormon lands were. An overriding question in book of mormon scholarship is. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in. Support is very different than prove, and even though there is no geographical evidence that directly ties the book of mormon to specific archaeological sites. Is there any secular non mormon archaeological evidence to support the existence of book of mormon civilizations.
Book of mormon central archaeological evidence for the. If youve put any serious study into the book of mormon, you know it. They have discovered no evidence that supports the book of mormon in any way. 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. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon. So there is also archaeological evidence that supports the truthfulness of the book of mormon. Archaeology itself can be divided and subdivided into numerous disciplines. While there is no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon s claim that there were nephites in the new world, the existence of the israelites in the holy land is verified by a great deal of evidence. Sep 19, 2010 we read in the book of mormon that there were great battles with thousands of participants fought in the americas and that they had chariots and swords. So there s no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Most scholars reject the idea of viewing the book of mormon as a historical record. There is no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. No historical evidence to support the book of mormon.
Archaeological evidence, though, is spotty, and it seldom shows up on cue. Think about it a jewishchristian culture in the middle of a polytheist mesoamerican culture that has no mention in any codex, monument or literature. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats. Mormon said that the city of bountiful forever remained one of the most secured cities alma 53. The old testament has many archaeological findings which confirm its existence many years ago. Critics of the book of mormon have argued that there are words and phrases in the book that are anachronistic with archaeological findings. This book is filled with photographs showing ancient and presentday mesoamerica, the location where the cities and civilizations described in.
The book of mormon makes a handful of references to horses existing on the american continents in these ancient times. As each year passed, the foundations scientists were unable to find any evidence that would support the book of mormon. Why are there not any archeological artifacts on ancient world of book of mormon as there are on the bible. So theres no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Is there evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon.
Though there are many more than five, ive tried to present a. I think the other answers must be answering a different question than the one asked. The resurrected savior, jesus christ, really did visit the book of mormon people in the americas. Ancient israelites did come to america over 2400 years ago. Why does the book of mormon talk of horses, metal, cows, etc when these did not come to new world until after 1492. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins author john e.
I was wondering if there is any archaeological evidence to support things mentioned in the book of mormon such as wheat, barley, copper, and. Is there archaeological evidence to support the book of. Clark had circumstances permitted a marked grave for the slain prophet, a fitting headstone could have read, by joseph smith, junior, author and proprietor. Recent archaeological evidence has shown that military fortifications around mesoamerican cities were, in fact, fairly common, and that the type of construction described in the book of mormon is completely consistent with what evidence shows. Civilizations of their magnitude and duration would be expected to leave extensive archaeological records. The first myth we need to eliminate is that book of mormon archaeology existsif one is to study book of mormon archaeology, then one must have a corpus of data with which to deal. Are there any non mormon archaeologists who have written about this evidence in the affirmative. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon. But why cant anyone find any physical evidence to support these ancient battles.
A new archaeological excavation at the south of the temple mount in jerusalem has just barely uncovered an 8 th century seal impression that might have belonged to the biblical prophet isaiah, revered by nephi and other book of mormon prophets. Feb 23, 2009 dont worry, just like the bible, there isnt enough archaeological evidence that would convince you that the book of mormon is the word of god. In this post i wanted to emphasize physical evidencesstuff you can touch, see, feel. The critics like to claim that there is no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon, but the truth is that there is scant archaeological data to tell us anything about the names of ancient new world inhabitants or locationsand names are the only means by which we could archaeologically identify whether there were nephites in ancient america. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Is there sufficient archaeological evidence to support the. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very presuppositions. Dec 02, 20 i was wondering if there is any archaeological evidence to support things mentioned in the book of mormon such as wheat, barley, copper, and steel in america. Jan, 2016 undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in north america. Dont expect proof for any religion or matter of faith, but yes, there are many issues that support the concept that the book of mormon is of. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. It is a thriving field of study, with hundreds of pieces of evidence that correlate the book of mormon with archaeology. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as never before. I was wondering if there is any archaeological evidence to support things mentioned in the book of mormon such as wheat, barley, copper, and steel in america.
The previous link is to the pdf version of the article, which is a mustread. His library research spurred his first hunt for archaeological evidence, in campeche in 1948. 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. Claims book of mormon archaeology is based upon scant evidence is deception for the masses. When googling archaeological evidence and the book of mormon one cannot help, but be impressed by the success of fairmormon, the mormon churchs go to apologist site at web optimization. That is no wonder if you consider how it was bounded by rivers on two sides, and that they built palisades around the land as well. To support our nonprofit science journalism, please make a taxdeductible gift today. A good example would be the discovery of dead sea scrolls with some of the scrolls estimated to be cre.
It is a common claim by critics that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon. Many scholars see no support for the book of mormon in the archaeological record, since no one has found any inscriptional evidence for, or material remains that can be tied to any persons, places, or things mentioned in the book smithsonian institution. A contemporary mormon view is that these civilizations rose and fell in mesoamerica. Dec 10, 2012 the idea that there is archaeological evidence for the book of mormon is purely wishful thinking. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu studies. Mormonism is there any archaeological evidence for the. 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. All of this is circumstantial evidence in support of the book of mormon being an actual historical document. Archaeological evidence for 7 locations on lehis journey. 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.
As interest has grown in these new continents, archaeologists inside and outside of the church have made more and more discoveries backing up the book of mormon s bold claims. Instead, he offers positive support for the book of mormon in multiple areas. The volume has long invited scrutiny from all branches of science. 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 and other denominations of the latter day saint movement believe that it describes ancient historical events in the americas. I was baptized as a mormon 806 age 60, from a catholic background. A new archaeological excavation at the south of the temple mount in jerusalem has just barely uncovered an 8th century seal impression that might have belonged to the biblical prophet isaiah, revered by nephi and other book of mormon prophets. Along with my own insights ive provided evidence from archaeologists, historians. I like this quote from the video, the evidence to support josephs writings simply does not exist. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in transition. The smithsonian institute has issued a statement regarding archaeological evidence and the book of mormon. Is there any archaeological evidence for the civilizations.
While the primary evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon comes from the holy ghost, many people wonder if there is any archaeological support for the book of mormon. Jan 18, 2018 how a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith. Is there any direct geographical or archaeological evidence. 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. Illuminating the credibility of the book of mormon through archaeological photographs. Nonetheless, they have published in full detail the results of their excavations. No, not everything is archaeologically confirmed, any more than everything in any. Archaeological evidence true book of mormon geography.
The view that the jaredites settled a virgin continent is consistent with book of mormon internal evidence. As mentioned at the top of this article, the nhm find is. There is an abundance of historical and archaeological evidence that supports the scriptural historical events as recorded in the book of mormon. Fairmormon responds to the lack of any archeological evidence.
Archaeological and historical evidence where did the. There is no way joseph smith could have known such evidence. Why is there no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. 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.
In 2005, he published an article on archaeology and the book of mormon. Mormons what archeological evidence is there to support some. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. Book of mormon archaeology is real, authentic, scientifically researched, a proven fact. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. They hear the very common assertions that theres no evidence at all to support the book of mormon, and if they havent studied whats out there to refute that claim, it starts to lead to doubts. I keep hearing that there is, so can anyone help me out by providing a few sources. The book of mormon principally describes gods dealings with two c. The nhm inscription is the most important piece of geographical evidence book of mormon supporters have for their claims. Numerous scholars and archaeologists have unanimously concluded that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Supporting evidences of the book of mormon are broadly identifiable. Dont worry, just like the bible, there isnt enough archaeological evidence that would convince you that the book of mormon is the word of god.
Critics argue that there is no archaeological evidence to support the use of wheeled vehicles in mesoamerica, especially since many parts of ancient mesoamerica. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove. The book of mormon suggests that the original native americans descended from a small band of israelites. 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. For one particular physical evidence, look no further than a plethora of archaeological. Archaeology, relics and book of mormon belief deseret news.
In the last chapter we saw that the bible is reliable, being textually pure and verifiably accurate in many places. Does the bom tell stories about god giving people dark skin as a punishment for their wickedness and also so that the righteous white nephites will not find them. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in north. He was convinced that the book of mormon was an accurate historical document and that it would be relatively easy to uncover artifacts to prove its validity. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon. There is no specific confirmation of the book of mormon from archaeology.
Is there archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. I couldnt possibly cover every book of mormon correlation in one sitting. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Many scientific volumes have been written about evidence for the book of mormon civilizations. The earliest archaeological reference to the people of israel is a stele of the egyptian ruler merneptah, dated about 1220 b. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in. Russel ballard to the lack of any archaeological or any other type of evidence supporting the book of mormon. This presumption removes from discussion the most compelling evidence of the. Did dan peterson just tacitly acknowledge that theres no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. To begin looking for archaeological evidence you have to know where to look. Smithsonian archaeologists see no direct connection between the archaeology of the new world and the subject matter of the book. Why are there not any archeological artifacts on ancient.
Is there any archaeological evidence for the civilizations described in the book of mormon. But its very hard to explain away nahom and olishem and other discoveries like that, and that can be helpful to people who need that lifeline. That means that family members with babies should not be at the. The refutation of the nhm inscription shows there is no archaeological support from mormonism, and no amount of appealing to plausibility will alter that fact. Is there archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon.
The book of mormon itself suffers the same fate when it comes to its own historical support. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in north america. If factas we know it to bethe cities will be there. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the book of. Is there any archaeological evidence around the city of buffalo that there. In 1998, the smithsonian began issuing a shorter letter without the detailed response found in the first letter, and limited its comment to briefly deny any use of the book of mormon as an archaeological guide by the institution. Is the book of mormon without any archaeological support. Book of mormon archaeology the irrefutable evidence. 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. Joseph speculated that book of mormon lands were located there fig. An example of the mormon claim that archaeological evidence supporting the book of mormon exists is john sorensons book images of ancient america. Some critics dismiss the book of mormon because, they say, no archaeological evidence directly supports it. May 23, 2014 this is another in my series of article on challenging questions that missionaries will likely face. Archaeologists have not found any ancient chariots, swords, remnants of steel smelting or any artifact that might verify something in the book of mormon as far.
Is there any direct geographical or archaeological. The only hard archaeological evidence of which i am aware is back in the middle east remember that the book of mormon is only mostly set in the new world. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins. Some archaeological evidences for the book of mormon. And to be less sardonic about the matter, this is also why direct evidence actually can sometimes di. Book of mormon central archaeological evidence for the book. As already explained, we may never be able to determine the an. There is simply no question that nahom in the book of mormon now has solid support a direct hit in terms of book of mormon evidence. The gap in scholarship is rapidly closing, and yet, thats not what brings the believer to the throne of grace. 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. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand ended up losing his faith. Archeology alone, no not for the whole book, but yes on its beginnings.
New archaeological evidence for book of mormon prophet isaiah. The smithsonian institution has never used the book of mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Is there any direct geographical or archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon. 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. However, there exists no credible archaeological evidence proving that the book of mormon is a record of literate ancient american people of hebrew descent. No direct geographical, archaeological or any other scientific field supports fictional narratives. Therefore, the mormon can have confidence that the bible is the word of god and that it can be accurately translated. Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon.
502 27 1122 537 1323 1436 772 1381 39 994 1240 902 1349 568 361 916 798 1585 90 406 852 513 1344 377 692 512 475 1165 15 239 628 621 1212 645 1189 45