Did joseph smith describe the book of mormon translation process. In time, however, scientific discoveries showed that species of horses, asses, elephants, and other animals had once been present in north america, although dating to an earlier period than that covered in the book of mormon. Mormon is allegedly a prophethistorian who was the native american believed by mormons to have written the book of mormon the main religious text of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints mormonism. Book of mormon verses containing the reference to horses. Leading experts of the early americas disavow the historicity of the book of mormon narrative. One of the toughest challenges for the book of mormon is the issue of horses. Horses are mentioned in eight different book of mormon episodes that involve an ancient new world setting. The nephites mined gold and also worked copper and silver. Apr 28, 2018 the book of mormon has a few different mentions of horses in different verses, but horses in the book of mormon arent used in the way we understand horses to be used. Below are some of the contradictory and often anachronistic items in the book of mormon text. Smith claimed to translate the original text of the plates into english.
Scholars go over evidence and discuss horses found in precolumbian times, chariots, and elephants. Matthew roper, in a fairmormon blog on june 17, 20, writes about a criticism that was repeated many times over the years about the mention of steel in the book of mormon. The book of mormon abridged for reddit ploni almoni. In his letter to a ces director, jeremy runnells asks why horses are mentioned in the book of mormon when, supposedly, no horses existed in precolumbian america.
Mormon challenges are precolumbian horses in book of. The book of mormon mentions that horses were known and used by the jaredites and the people of lehi. You can read about his many views here in 1842, for the first time, joseph considered mesoamerica after reading a very popular book by john l. Dave and les jacobs getty images looks like youll need to do quite a bit of studying before youre considered a book of mormon scholar. In 1884, one critic wrote, labans sword was steel, when it is a notorious fact that the israelites knew nothing of steel for hundreds of years afterwards. A few lds church scholars account for this discrepancy by speculating that perhaps the nephite calendar was a lunar calendar. According to joseph smith, the book of mormon was originally engraved on golden plates, which he received in 1827 from an angel named moroni, whom smith identified as a resurrected former inhabitant of the american continent. Horses evolved in north america, but became extinct at the end of the pleistocene. Aug 07, 2005 and steel in the book of mormon is, in fact, described as a rare and precious metal. Out of all the criticisms of the book of mormon, its mention of horses keeps coming up. 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. The nephites made swords of steel, a derivative of iron. Feb 05, 2008 the following is a partial rebuttal to the anti mormon video bible vs.
There are a number of words and phrases in the book of mormon that are anachronistictheir. First, the lds church answers critics who say joseph smith plagiarized from the king james bible, by saying joseph smith translated in the language of the day so people could clearly understand the book. And it came to pass that the people of nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds and also many. When the book of mormon was first published in 1830, the common knowledge then was that there were no horses or similar large fauna at all until after european contact. Jan 29, 2018 these citations from prominent non mormon voices concerning the book of mormon, and others like them which could be multiplied, may, however, mislead an unsuspecting reader into believing that the book is worthy of any sort of genuine scrutiny or god forbid fair, evenhanded analysis free of prejudice or ideological partiality.
Additionally, the book of mormon never says that horses were ridden or used in battle. In light of this view, latterday saints have approached this question in one of two ways. Rather, they were known only to some peoples before the time of christ in a few limited regions of the new world. Since there has been a lot of criticism by some antimormons about the steel using nephites, it might be useful to see what the book of mormon actually says about iron and steel. Aug 05, 2017 joseph smith gave a wide variety of opinions about the location of the book of mormon peoples. Horses, cattle, oxen, sheep, swine, goats, elephants, wheels, chariots, wheat, silk, steel, and iron did not exist in precolumbian america during book of mormon times. The fabrication and use of metals in the book of mormon jump to subtopic. Archaeological evidence of the book of mormon latterday. Any casual student of archaeology knows scientists frequently find animals alive that were previously believed to be extinct. The early saints believed that all american indians were the descendants of book of mormon peoples, and that they shared a covenant heritage connecting them to ancient israel. One commentator explained the use of steel in the book of mormon. The following is a partial rebuttal to the anti mormon video bible vs. The nephites being in one body, and having so great a number, and having reserved for themselves provisions, and horses and cattle, and flocks of every.
The book of mormon never claims that the horse was universally known or used in the new world. Daniel has spoken and written extensively regarding the evolution of belief about ancient american horses and the evidence for precolumbian horses in this hemisphere. That leaves 11 times that the book of mormon claims that horses existed in the new world. Thus, the mention of horses in the americas during book of mormon times presents an anachronismsomething that doesnt fit the time frame for which it is claimed. Why are horses mentioned in the book of mormon lds living. In fact, book of mormon horses are never mentioned in a combat narrative. Jan 23, 2016 long after the book of mormon was published, they found that various combinations of iron and steel existed near jerusalem as early as 600 b. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. Most of these were introduced by the old world to the new world after columbus. A loose translation also helps to explain the many anachronisms in the book of mormon such as horses, wheels, chariots, bees, silk, steel, elephants, swine, wheat, iron, and more that could be excused away by joseph smith just loosely translating based on what he was familiar with. For those new to arm who arent informed on the controversythe book of mormon claims that its people had and used horses as late as 26 ad 3 nephi 6. Deseret book and religious studies center, brigham young university, 2016, 3343. For example, book of mormon references to horses suggest that.
Long after the book of mormon was published, they found that various combinations of iron and steel existed near jerusalem as early as 600 b. As history books of today clearly point out, horses in the americas originated with the. There are five explicit references to metal weapons and. Both the bible and the book of mormon mention steel in relation to ancient jerusalem. Some people believe that references to horses are out of place since it is widely believed that they were extinct long before book of mormon times. And it came to pass that the people of nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds and also many horses. General conference of the church of jesus christ 268,698 views. Additionally, the book of mormon never says that horses. Horses in the book of mormon post by nibbler fri apr 27, 2018 7. There are two major fallacies in discussions on this topic. In other words, critics claim that the book of mormon is a fraud, since horses mentioned in the book of mormon couldnt have lived here at the time of the nephites. Lds church statement on christcentered energy healing.
There is no evidence that horses existed on the american continent during the 25003000 year history of the book of mormon 2500 b. Horses in the book of mormon book of mormon mormon. May 26, 2018 in his letter to a ces director, jeremy runnells asks why horses are mentioned in the book of mormon when, supposedly, no horses existed in precolumbian america. The overall question of the use of metals by book of mormon cultures is an important topic that deserves detailed attention see john sorenson, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon 1985, 27788. Steel was also unknown in the new world prior to the arrival of european explorers, yet the book of mormon mentions the use of both iron and steel 2 nephi 5. The white horse prophecy is the popular name of an influential but disputed version of a statement on the future of the latter day saints officially named the church of jesus christ of latterday saints and the united states. Horses and steel did not exist in precolumbian america, which is when and where the book of mormon bom takes place. The question of horses in the book of mormon lds magazine. What did hugh nibley have to say about the lds enoch and the aramaic book of the giants. Apologetics press the book of mormon and the ancient evidence. Recently, a commenter recommended that article, steel in the book of mormon by william hamblin as a good source of information about this favorite area for critics to poke at.
Was this the mormon horse that was used for mormon battles. Another scholar pointed out several possibilities for mentions of horses. A related discussion is in my post, update on horses in the book of mormon, mormanity blog, feb. Apologists counter that the word steel in the book of mormon likely refers to a hardened metal other than iron. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted. Some of the anachronistic animals found in the book of mormon include horses, cattle, oxen, donkeys, goats, wild goats, sheep, swine and elephants see 1 nephi 18. Horses are mentioned in eight different book of mormon episodes that involve. I think its a valuable article that helps us better understand the richness and complexity of the text, and the danger of making simple 21st century assumptions about an ancient text. According to the book of nephi, which is the first book in the book of mormon, both nephi and laban had items that were made from steel. Horses in the book of mormon 20200205 book of mormon verses containing the reference to horses. Many critics ridicule the mention of horses in the book of mormon, for it is widely assumed that horses were not known to man in the americas prior to contact with europeans. A particularly noteworthy reference concerns a military leader named laban, who is described as having a steel sword with a gold hilt 1 nephi 4. Each possible explanation also teaches important lessons about archaeology, ancient.
Why did joseph smith marry women who were already married to other living men i. Anti mormon writers who condemn the book of mormon for its mention of steel rarely point out that the bible mentions steel in equally ancient times the same is true of brass. The anachronism of horses in the book of mormon as an. Gardner, anachronisms in the book of mormon, in a reason for faith. There are a small number of mentions in the book of mormon of horses. Precolumbian horses in book of mormon proves it false. Stephens, incidents of travel in central america, chiapas, and yucatan. The book of mormon speaks of horses used by book of mormon peoples, and yet there is no proof of such a thing. Many lds mormons come up with ways to justify them being in the bom. Antimormons have often mocked the book of mormon with taunts like, how do you hide a steel mill. New evidence for horses in america book of mormon central. Hard evidence of ancient american horses byu studies. Lets talk horses, steel, jesus, brigading, and rmormon rules. Lds researcher benjamin mcguire has noted that while the book of mormon is.
There are at least two possible resolutions to the horse problem in the book of mormon. Studies of the book of mormon is a collection of essays written at the beginning of the 20th century though not published until 1985 by b. Others believe that the word horse in the book of mormon does not refer to members of the. Although sorensons same researcher above appears to give the book of mormon metallurgy a speck of hope, the fact still remains that nothing close to the steel swords described in the book of mormon has been found or thought to have been in use by anyone outside the mormon church. Ash, scholar, author of shaken faith syndrome and of faith and reason the charge that the book of mormon must be fiction. For addition precolumbian dated horse bones, see miller and roper, animals in the book of mormon, 164. Peruvian setting for the book of mormon mormon matters. First is the problem of the hermeneutics of hyperskepticism. Horses, scholars believe, were only reintroduced by columbus to the carribbean in 1493, and by cortez to the continent over two decades later in 1819. Donors interested in supporting this work can do so through book of mormon central. The book of mormon talks about horses and steel in the americas in 400 bc. Examples of steel being mentioned in the old testament include 2 sam. The book of mormon has a few different mentions of horses in different verses, but horses in the book of mormon arent used in the way we understand horses to be used.
Top 10 embarrassments of the mormon religion listverse. In fact, the last mentions of horses indicates that they were plentiful. Ted dee stoddard, in the issue of the word horse in the book of mormon, reminds us that horses existed at one time in the ancient world, but were believed to have become extinct. Mormonism is a religion less than two centuries old, but in this short time it has managed to accrue a long list of embarrassments which the church leaders would prefer were kept silent. Its become a trope that is brought up in heated arguments. The book of mormon does not claim that horses were universally known in the americas throughout precolumbian history. The people of the book of mormon had herds of animals that could be described as sheep. Steel swords, elephants and horses in the book of mormon. There does not appear to be archeological proof for their existence in the new world during the time period in which they are mentioned 600 b.
In other words, critics claim that the book of mormon is a fraud, since horses mentioned in the book of mormon. First, lets list many more book of mormon problems i didnt include in this video. Maxwell institute for religious scholarship formerly farms, aug 2000. Lets talk horses, steel, jesus, brigading, and rmormon. Horses in the book of mormon lds scripture teachings. Sjodahl note that weapons of steel were even found in ancient tombs in egypt. Dec 03, 2009 here is what my copy of the book of mormon states. The fabrication and use of metals in the book of mormon. At first glance, its a simple case for rejecting the book. Roberts 18571933, a general authority of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, which examine the validity of the book of mormon as a translation of an ancient american source. So some people think joseph smith was just pulling stuff out of a hat.
Horses, cattle, oxen, sheep, swine, goats, elephants, wheels, chariots, wheat, silk, steel, and iron did not exist in precolumbian. Indigenous horses book of mormon archaeological forum. Horses are claimed most often as livestock and work horses, but never mentioned as riding animals. Is the mention of copper in the book of mormon an anachronism. They need to read the book of mormon again enos 1 21 and it came to pass that the people of nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses. This paper is based on a talk and powerpoint presentation given to the book of mormon lands conference, 20 october 2007. The issue of horses in the book of mormon is still used by critics of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints as a means of attack and by some of its own members as justification for their loss of faith in the book of mormon and, subsequently, the religion itself. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from the plates of nephi.
What sacrifices did lehi offer to god in the wilderness. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. Was joseph smith involved in witchcraft, magic and the occult. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. Three incidences of steel in the new world are mentioned in the book of mormon, one early amongst the jaredites after their arrival around 2400 bc, one immediately after the lehi partys arrival in the new world discussing nephis knowledge of steel at approximately 580 bc, and one of occurrence amongst the nephites around 400 bc. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which, according to adherents, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. The book of mormon mentions horses a few times, even though were not in the americas before the spanish arrived, according to current expert opinion. As the modern lds church tries to shore up belief in the prophet joseph smith and his special powers of translation, it continues to try to argue for something more than a fictional narrative for the book of mormon. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading science and the book of mormon. Well, the book of mormon is a migration story, similar to the idea of the book of exodus in the old testament, except there are three migrations involved in this. Here are some important points that are often overlooked when exploring this challenge. There are three possible ways to approach this puzzle, dealing with archaeology, ancient cultural practices, and difficulties in translation. Of course, archaelogical and anthropological research shows us that the western horse went extinct thousands of years before the time of the alleged. May 23, 2014 the book of mormon and the origin of native americans from a maternally inherited dna standpoint.
The book of mormon describes labans steel sword, which would have existed in 600 bce. Naparsteck is referring to book of mormon usage of the word horse as an indication that the book of mormon cannot be true because horses did not exist in the new world during book of mormon times. Book of mormon horses do not function anything like nineteenthcentury farm or field horses, nor are they utilized by either the nephites or lamanites as were the horses belonging to the farmers, explorers, or native americans in joseph smiths milieu. Metals, weapons, and the book of mormon mormon answers. Isnt the lds church using double speak and confusion regarding hoses in the book of mormon. One passage says that the book of mormon shall establish the truth of the bible and shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the lamb of god is the son of the eternal father, and the savior of the world. It was given by edwin rushton, in about 1900, and supposedly made in 1843 by joseph smith, jr. Some early20th century mormons claimed various archaeological findings such as place names, and ruins of the. There is no reference to steel as a major industrial raw material among the nephites. What is the significance of the great and spacious building. These dates range all the way from the journey of the jaredites preabraham, up until the time just prior to the appearance of christ in the americas 33 ad.
646 915 1434 596 805 1476 1157 634 1425 1239 12 502 550 1280 645 56 1122 527 639 1350 1365 120 608 685 402 782 110 1401 277 838 1284 175