The most compelling evidence for the truthfulness of the book of mormon is spiritual. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations.
Supporting evidences of the book of mormon are broadly identifiable. I am trying to remain agnostic, but the story told in the book of mormon does have an uncanny resemblance to the artifact. Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Proof that the book of mormon is true, excerpt from. The claim that there is no archaeological evidence supporting the book of mormon is incorrect. Proof that the book of mormon is true book of mormon facts. Responsible physical evidence the book of mormon in. For example, critics of mormonism have shown convincing proof that the book of mormon is a synthesis of earlier works written by other men, of the vivid imaginings of joseph smith, and of plagiarisms from the king james bible. Ive done some statistical analysis of the use of the phrase it came to pass and the word exceedingly in the book of mormon, which is discussed in the book of mormon authorship page. The additional problems links provide further evidence of the book of mormon and joseph smiths illegitimacy. Physical and spiritual evidences book of mormon evidence. Holland gave a stirring address about the power of physical evidence in defending the gospel at the chiasmus conference sponsored by book of mormon central and byu studies.
How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Listen to over 500 presentations and talks from past book of mormon evidence. Many isles of the sea were among places where the gospel began to take root in the 19th century. Come follow me 2020 book of mormon evidence on apple. Sjodahl note that weapons of steel were even found in ancient tombs in egypt. In our view, an ancient mesoamerican setting is best supported by the information given in the book of mormon. This conference, held on august 16, celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of chiasmus in the book of mormon. Because of these conflicts with mormon tradition and book of mormon internal evidence, the limited geography theory has been repeatedly condemned by lds leaders, including joseph fielding smith, jr. Is there any historical evidence for the book of mormon. He is the author or coauthor of 16 books, including between.
Due to the nature of its origin, that would support the existence of god. His library research spurred his first hunt for archaeological evidence. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in. Investigating the evidence for mormonism in six steps. Along with my own insights ive provided evidence from archaeologists, historians, gospel scholars, and others who have made such study the. He established the new world archaeological foundation, where his role as. Is there archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. There is no mention of them being ridden by humans or being used in battle.
Is praying over the book of mormon circular reasoning. Evidence of the truthfulness of the book of mormon lds. 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. Some more archaeological evidences of the book of mormon. If this strong circumstantial evidence is simply not enough to give us reason to doubt the truthfulness of joseph smith and the book of mormon, there is an additional condemning piece of hard physical evidence exposing smith as a fraud. In fact, mormon scripture such as the book of abraham, fails the. Admittedly, evidence surrounding the book of mormon is not our. The evidence for this conclusion, as has been addressed by many scholars, includes the limited geography of events and travel described in the text and a historical chronology consistent with the archaeological record of the region. One such group is the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, better known as f. Responsible physical evidence posted january, 2017 jonathan neville critics of the book of mormon point to the lack of physical evidence to corroborate the narrative in the text, but the real problem is choosing among the abundant evidences.
Investigating the evidence for mormonism in six steps cold case. In the end, the one and only piece of physical evidence for the historicity of the book of mormon is unraveled by the churchs own arabic translation of the book of mormon. Mormonism is there any archaeological evidence for the. The scientific search for nephite remains mormons in. They disappear from the record by the time of christs ministry 2000 years ago. Recently, i went through it with a different emphasis and focus. As explored in this video, the location nahom in the book of mormon has been archaeologically confirmed.
The volume has long invited scrutiny from all branches of science. 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. If they were once a delightsome people and had christ for their shepherd, mormon 5. This physical evidence and the witness statements that it confirms also shed light on the question of the authorship of the book of. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, members and leaders of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints have expressed numerous opinions about the specific locations of the events discussed in the book.
The book of mormon purports to give an account of two civilizations formed by families who migrated to the americas. These facts establish how plausible it is that the book of mormon really is an artifact of the ancient world. Brother callister could almost be seen as an attorney for his client, the book of mormon, which is exactly what a video by the church of jesus christ entitled compelling witness. Brinley is a retired professor of church history and doctrine at brigham young university. The list includes items such as steel swords, barley, cement, thrones, and literacy. Archaeologists, when examining ancient evidence, are working with a very fragmentary record. If the book of mormon is true, then joseph smith was a prophet. The book of mormon has several evidences within its pages that give evidence to it being exactly what joseph smith purported it to be.
Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon. The nhm inscription is the most important piece of geographical evidence book of mormon supporters have for their claims. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon. Sorenson claims that there is fossil evidence that some new world horses may have survived the. Joseph smith said that the book of mormon was originally an ancient nativeamerican record written on golden plates, and that god gave him the power to translate it into english. If you have a bible study with them, they will ask you to pray over the book of mormon. First, it utterly lacks historical or archaeological support, and there is overwhelming empirical evidence that refutes it. Both religious and secular scholars and even a number of lds scholars acknowledge there is a wealth of physical evidence supporting the accounts described in the bible, while the accounts described in the book of mormon have absolutely no tangible evidence connecting it to the real world. I wanted to determine how many evidences were found in the book of mormon. The book of mormon suggests that the original native americans descended. Is there any archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. 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. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon.
Many mormons believe this to be linked with lehis dream, thus proving the bom with evidence. Joseph claimed he could translate the plates without having them physically present. Many readers have posed this question, both out of genuine interest and also as a challenge to the book s authenticity. Archaeology itself can be divided and subdivided into numerous disciplines. The aztec, maya, and inca people were expecting the return of a god who their ancestors once believed in. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove. Seems perfectly natural to expect physical evidences to exist. Our first 2020 event will be april 9, 10, and 11th at the mountain america exposition center at 9575 s state st in sandy, ut 84070 this will be the firm foundation expo featuring the 25th international book of mormon evidence conference. Scholars reject smiths explanation of the origin of the book of mormon. The book of mormons authors made it clear the record was spiritual, and.
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. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very presuppositions. Sectarian critics who accept the bible, but not the book of mormon, sometimes claim that the bible has been proven or confirmed by archaeology, and insist that the same cannot be said for the book of mormon. I couldnt possibly cover every book of mormon correlation in one sitting. Many a learned person has asked the same thing about the bible or. Brilliant summary of facts we read about, but have nothing tangible until now thank you. Alma 63 versus 57 5 and it came to pass that hagoth, he being an aexceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land bbountiful, by the land desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the cnarrow neck which led into the land northward. Critics note that there is no physical proof of the existence of golden plates. This is important because the latterday saints make such a point about it containing the fullness of. Joseph smith said 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, vol. Its early account of jerusalem just before the babylonian captivity gains in plausibility as research continues to accumulate. The internal consistency of these descriptions is one of the striking features of the book of mormon. Book of mormonarchaeologycompared to the bible fairmormon. 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.
Smith said that the angel moroni reclaimed the plates once he. No amount of physical evidence would either prove or disprove it as such. Given the evidence, there is more than enough reason to conclude. One group of families came from jerusalem in 600 bc and afterward separated into two nations, known as the nephites and the lamanites. So the question of all questions deals with the truthfulness of book of mormon. In the book, brother callister addresses and refutes counterarguments and presents both physical and spiritual evidence to support that the book of mormon is true. The 1st rule of book of mormon evidence there is 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. The book of mormon does fit into what we know of the ancient world. How would you defend the book of mormon in a court. If the book is accurate, archaeologists would expect to find numerous pieces of hard evidence in central america that confirm the presence of these societies.
Physical evidence for the ancient origins of joseph smiths book of mormon. When missionaries are confronted with arguments against the book of mormon, they are taught to ignore the evidence and pray to see if the book of mormon is true. The book of mormon describes migrations of people from the middle east to central america, and further describes some features of their civilizations in the new world. The nahom case provides evidence, not of the authenticity of the book of mormon, but of the willingness of lds scholars to look anywhere to find validation for a historically accurate reading of the book of mormon. His first evidence was the golden plates, seen only by himself and eleven witnesses. For one particular physical evidence, look no further than a plethora of archaeological sites from many different centuries, but particularly. In general, they find physical evidence, but such evidence in and of. Listen to over 500 presentations and talks from past book of mormon evidence conferences and expos. Because joseph smith made such an effort to bolster his religious claims with physical proof of their history, this question deserves a careful answer. Izapa stela 5 is a rock found chiapas, mexico with ancient carvings. 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.