Book of mormon archaeology in north america book of. Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon. First published in 1830, the book of mormon tells of the transoceanic migrations of two ancient near eastern peoples to the americas. The book of mormon mentions that ishmael died, and was buried in the place which was called nahom 1 ne. Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. 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 february 2001 issue of the ensign mentions this briefly 14 of a page where it openly admits, this is the first archaeological find that supports a book of mormon placename other than jerusalem or the red sea. It might be the funniest thing in the world to me when someone tells me with absolute certainty that the book of mormon isnt true after having admitted never actually reading the book themselves. Of all the histories that have been written pertaining to the antiquities of this country it is the most correct, luminous and comprehensive, and it supports the testimony of the book of mormon.
Archaeology itself can be divided and subdivided into numerous. 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. Thus, in the midnineteenth century, archaeology did not support the claims made by the book of mormon. The resurrected savior, jesus christ, really did visit the book of mormon people in the americas. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it.
Since many mormons have spread the rumor that the smithsonian institution uses the book of mormon in its archaeological research, the institution has found it necessary to publish a statement denying this claim. For example, in the book of mormon, proper names of places and people have no substantiation from outside sources. House of lehi found near jerusalem book of mormon evidence. 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. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins byu. To dismiss the book of mormon on archaeological grounds is shortsighted. The smithsonian institution has never used the book of mormon in any way as a. 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. The first archaeological support for the book of mormon. Does archaeology support the book of mormon institute.
The book of mormon describes a ditch being dug around the protected area. What archaeological evidence supports the claims made in the book of mormon. This is the first archaeological find that supports a book of mormon placename other than jerusalem or the red sea ensign, feb. The article is entitled, book of mormon linked to site in yemen. He established the new world archaeological foundation, where his role as.
Research on this matter supports two possible explanations. These finds confirm scriptures found in the book of mormon describing the world of the ancient nephites and lamanites. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very presuppositions. Cuttingedge technology has uncovered huge archaeological finds in the heart of ancient mesoamerica. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. Pates findings in mapping the book of mormon and adds exciting new discoveries that lend credibility to the book of mormon and its geographic location.
Therefore, the mormon can have confidence that the bible. So theres no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. They have discovered no evidence that supports the book of mormon in any way. In 1946 a mormon named thomas ferguson started archeological explorations looking specifically for evidence to support the book of mormon. Archaeological and historical evidence where did the. Honestly, i feel like looking for archaeological evidence of the book of mormon is like looking for a needle in a field. In 1975, he submitted a paper to a symposium about book of mormon geography outlining the failure of archaeologists to find old world plants, animals, metals, and scripts in mesoamerica. So a lot of mormons ask me every week if i find any evidence. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the book of. Book of mormonarchaeologycompared to the bible fairmormon. Nephites, lamanites, and jaredites had to live somewhere. There is an abundance of historical and archaeological evidence that supports the scriptural historical events as recorded in the book of mormon. Some critics dismiss the book of mormon because, they say, no archaeological evidence directly supports it. This is important because the latterday saints make such a point about it containing the fullness of.
And to be less sardonic about the matter, this is also why direct evidence actually can sometimes di. 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. Archaeology, relics and book of mormon belief deseret news. It reads, this is the first archaeological find that supports a book of mormon placename other than jerusalem or the red sea. The story of joseph smiths first vision and the visit of the angel moroni are illustrated, as well as other notable and important events from lds church history, the bible, and other scriptures. He had come to the jungles of campeche, northeast of the isthmus, to find proof. Im not really interested in book of mormon archaeology. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as never before. Some people might suggest that finding the existence of horses or chariots would. The book of mormon is true and could have only happened in north america. Book of mormon thought false by lds memberarchaelogist. According to the church of jesus christ of latterday saints mormon church, the book of mormon is a divinely inspired revelation that is complimentary to the bible. The book of mormon claims to be an ancient scripture rooted in the historical setting of the american continents.
Book of mormon evidence in american archaeology wayne may. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in. This is the first archaeological find that supports a book of mormon placename other than jerusalem or the red sea, says brother witt. How does a person gain a testimony of the book of mormon.
There is no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. As the efforts of archaeology have shed light on the ancient new world, we find in 2005 that fortyfive of those sixty items 75% have been confirmed. Book of mormon central archaeological evidence for the. Why is there no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Book of mormon mormon topics introduction click here. If a socalled holy book is not a myth, then we will find that the names of cities, people, and other unique details will be supported by archaeological evidence. Archaeological evidence of the book of mormon latterday. Pate introduces his second volume as he now turns to the fascinating subject of finding book of mormon names in maya stone. He started an organization called the new world archeological foundation nwaf whose purpose was to find archaeological evidence supporting the book of mormon. 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 mormons bold claims.
The first of these peoples, called jaredites, are supposed to have come to. Sjodahl note that weapons of steel were even found in ancient tombs in egypt. 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. Second, the book of mormon contains none of the key mormon doctrines. The book of mormon suggests that the original native americans descended. Is there any archeological evidence that the events in the. Dever, save us from postmodern malarkey, bar, marchapril 2000, 28. So there is also archaeological evidence that supports the truthfulness of the book of mormon. 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. Two of the most prevalent claims for the book of mormon are, there is much. The gap in scholarship is rapidly closing, and yet, thats not what brings the believer to the throne of grace. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon. Though argument does not create conviction, lack of it destroys belief. It is a common claim by critics that there is absolutely no archaeological evidence to support the book of mormon. In a times and seasons editorial, october 1, 1842, the prophet joseph smith, after progressive study. Is there archaeological evidence to support the book of. Come see a live presentation on archaeological discoveries and their correlation to the book of mormon cultures.
Bpin the last part in this series, we saw that the bible is reliable, being textually pure and verifiably accurate in many places. No nonmormon specialist in new world archaeology supports the. Archaeology and the book of mormon wikimili, the best. 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. Supporting evidences of the book of mormon are broadly identifiable. 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. What mormon archaeologists do is they will find the ruins. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand.
A healthy curiosity need not be suppressedhealthy being the operative word. 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. Did dan peterson just tacitly acknowledge that theres no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. How do these new discoveries relate to the book of mormon. This is another in my series of article on challenging questions that missionaries will likely face. Even more interesting is how the article in the ensign closes. 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.
Does the book of mormon support the idea of the trinity. No historical evidence to support the book of mormon. On what little we know of this inscription can a mormon be all that hopeful. However, unlike the bible which has multiple lines of archaeological support for its historicity and authenticity, the book of mormon is totally lacking in such corroborative evidence.
Dever, cited in gordon govier, biblical archaeologys dusty little secret, christianity today, october 2003, 38. Welcome to the book of mormon archaeological forum. For most people, that isnt a big deal, but when you studied archaeology1 at a churchowned university, it surprises some. With this in mind, it is clearly misleading for a scholar. To begin looking for archaeological evidence you have to know where to look. I told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book history of the church 4. First, it utterly lacks historical or archaeological support, and there is overwhelming empirical evidence that refutes it. The lay mormon is told by the mormon church that archaeology continues to confirm the book of mormon, while mormon scholars, who actually study archaeology for a. Archaeological trends and the book of mormon origins. 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. As always, i invite you to study the issues, evaluate what we know and what we dont know, and pray for the guidance.
If there is data supporting the texts, we can calculate whether the book of mormon should be considered to be based on fact or simply a good fiction story. Archaeological evidence, though, is spotty, and it seldom shows up on cue. There is a growing body of evidence from new world archaeology that supports the book of mormon. Watch presentations about american archaeology and its parallels to the book of mormon civilizations.
Atop it a fence of timbers was planted and bound together with vines. The king james quotations in the book of mormon, the history of the text of the book of mormon. No direct geographical, archaeological or any other scientific field supports fictional narratives. Newer archaeological finds are generally consistent with the book of mormon record even if we are unable as yet to know the exact location of book of mormon cities. That very arrangement is now well documented archaeologically an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, provo, utah. Wayne mays twopart presentation at the november 20 vernal, ut book of mormon evidence conference.
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