And while we will never prove the book of mormon true, the evidence strongly suggests that it is exactly what it claims to be. 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. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon why is there no archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. America megafauna, geological society of america abstracts with programs, volume 37, number 7, geological. If the book of mormon is really true history, then even after 1500 years, there should be some evidence that would support the truthfulness of those historical scriptural events, as recorded in the book of mormon. Book of mormon central has created a video to introduce readers to this body of research and to highlight some of the compelling geographic evidence that if offers. Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted to find archaeological evidence to support it. The aztec, maya, and inca people were expecting the return of a god who their ancestors once believed in. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the little book of book of mormon evidences. The old world setting of the book of mormon 2015 and numerous papers and articles. John watson, were a parchment discovered in an egyptian mound, six inches. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. To answer that question ive spent some time compiling a list of evidence for the divinity of the book of mormon.
What is the actual history of the coming forth and translation of the book of mormon. If they were once a delightsome people and had christ for their shepherd, mormon 5. Dec 11, 2018 basically, because he got uppity with joseph smith following the kirtland antibanking safety society scandal of 1837, in which smith and the other leaders of the kass lost all the savings of many kirtland saints with their undercapitalized nonba. Mormon traditions that would have us believe the book of mormon took place in the heartland and at new york truly conflict with the book of mormon, believed to be the word of god, so the heartland model is not valid. 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. Jerry grovers book, which uses geological principles to explain the occurrence of natural events in the book of mormon. Each of its unique names has now been looked at by scholars with linguistic training, and it. The best way to judge the book of mormon may be to read it for yourself, comparing it to the bible and gauging the spirit that piggybacks on its words. The book of mormon makes many implausible historical claims. May 23, 2014 this is another in my series of article on challenging questions that missionaries will likely face. Did ancient americans write on metal plates and stones as the book of mormon says.
Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in north america. Implications for book of mormon geography grovers investigations into the geology of the book of mormon also have implications for the geography of the book of mormon. He established the new world archaeological foundation, where his role as. Was the book of mormon a key factor in lincolns success and the healing of a nation.
Book of mormon central evidences of the book of mormon. The scientific legacy of a quest to prove the book of mormon. It is an ancient burial ground and ishmael was buried there in the book of mormon. Geology of the book of mormon kindle edition by grover, jerry. Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. 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. Helamans 2000 stripling warriors book of mormon evidence by bookmormon. The little book of book of mormon evidences kindle edition. 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. 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. The book of mormon, the founding document of the latter day saint movement and one of the four books of scripture of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church, is an account of three groups of people. The overall trend in the date over the past 175 years fits the expectations for the book of mormon as history rather than hoax. Proposed book of mormon geographical setting wikipedia. Such simple examples of chiasmus are well known in english speech.
The prophet joseph smith himself accepted what he felt was evidence of book of mormon civilizations in. Annotated edition of the book of mormon new 2nd edition. Whats sad is that the opposition comes from the very people that should be interested and fair about this new book. As will be demonstrated, the intimate relationships between his account and the known geography in the middle east provide excellent evidence of the book of mormon s authenticity. After joseph smith had translated the book of mormon and learned that many plain and precious truths had been taken from the bible, the lord commanded him to translate the bible.
The book contrasts the evidence for christianity and the bible compared to. In a book that is the first of its kind, jerry grover, a professional civil engineer and. Non mormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Persons who choose to dismiss the book of mormon must ignore the mounting evidence for its authenticity. In this chapter we will examine the book of mormon to see how it holds up to the. Geology of the book of mormon tyler livingston, recently named president of book of mormon archaeological forum, introduced me to a new book a few days ago. Sorenson claims that there is fossil evidence that some new world horses may. Stephen smoot at book of mormon central walks viewers through the discovery of nahom and what it means for book of mormon evidence. In a book that is the first of its kind, jerry grover, a professional civil engineer and geologist, utilizes geologic and geophysical analysis with clues. 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. However, i found john hiltons 90page book jampacked with convincing evidence that the book of mormon is no ordinary book. The author is dedicating all proceeds from the book to additional scientific geologic and engineering studies to cast further light on the ancient setting of the book of mormon. Is there evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon.
Come follow me 2020 podcasts with rod meldrum book of. This site provides you with an overview of what the book of mormon claims from an archeological or historic viewpoint, and compares it to nonapologetic apologetic meaning speak to defend scientific and historical resources. Jun 17, 2017 the site at nahom even dates back to lehis time period. In our view, an ancient mesoamerican setting is best supported by the information given in the book of mormon. Archaeological evidences discovered since the coming forth of the book of mormon and the facts of history point toward the accuracy of many details of its historic account. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove. The site at nahom even dates back to lehis time period. The book of mormon is the only explanation for this scripture. David hocking managing editor, annotated edition of the book of mormon.
Evidence supporting the book of mormon is growing but the evidence is largely circumstantial. For a little background, nahom is mentioned only once in the book of mormon, in 1 nephi 16. 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. Along with my own insights ive provided evidence from archaeologists, historians, gospel scholars, and others who have made such study the. The list of archeological and historical claims of the book of mormon compared to nonapologetic evidence. Is there any archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as never before.
Book of mormon evidences mormonism, the mormon church. Much evidence exists to support the claims made by the book of mormon native american evidences of book of mormon contents. Jerry grovers book, which uses geological principles to explain the occurrence of natural events in the book of mormon, is not as widely known. The book of mormon itself is the best source for understanding the geographical locations contained therein. The book of mormon contains accounts by many different people, mostly prophets, over a thousand years, harmonized and abridged into a whole narrative by a father and son, mormon and moroni, who lived around 400 ad. If this was the only sort of chiasmus to be found in the book of mormon, then it would be weak evidence, at best, of any sort of ancient origin for the text. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Little known evidences of the book of mormon yorgason, brenton g on. Excluding the bible and similar writing, can you prove to an atheist or to someone that is agnostic that god exists. However, additional evidences of the divinity of this book also exist.
His library research spurred his first hunt for archaeological evidence. The theory that the book of mormon is an ancient american history is not accepted as scientifically verifiable by the mainstream. While mormon scholars admit valid challenges to mormonism from archaeology and the book of abraham, they say the evidences of mormonisms truthfulness is the book of mormon itself, gods confirmation in your spirit, and the number of changed lives. Bloom actually found the book of mormon to be tedious and admitted that. The purpose of the book of mormon is to convince the world that jesus is the christ, our lord and redeemer. Echoes and evidences of the book of mormon parry, donald w. Therefore, book of mormon scholars look for evidence of the book of mormon s ancient hebrew origins by identifying phrases or expressions which are not typical for an english speaker of joseph smiths day which may reflect a direct translation of the underlying semiticstyle language of the book of mormon. Book of mormonevidenceshebraismschiasmus fairmormon. Is the book of mormon divine revelation, or is it simply the invention of a gifted storyteller. When comparing the evidences for the resurrection of jesus christ and coming forth of the book of mormon manuscript reliability, empty tomb empty stone box in new york hill, first hand witnesses, women testimonies, etc, the evidence is equal to or. Geology of the book of mormon book of mormon scientific and. 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. That very arrangement is now well documented archaeologically an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, provo, utah. What i would say to you is there is no archaeological proof of the book of mormon.
Book of mormon readers will have a difficult time imagining a more perfect geologic, geographic, and ecologic setup for the events described in ether 9. Think joseph smith could have gotten that right by sheer chance. Undeniable archaeological evidence of the book of mormon in. For the evidence which supports the claims made in this video, as well as a fairly comprehensive sampling of the available research on this topic, click the following link. There is generally no direct support amongst mainstream historians and archaeologists for the. 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. Ritual sacrifice both human sacrifice and animal sacrifices occurred in ancient america. Ever since the publication of the book of mormon, attempts have been made to place it in its geographical setting. Thus, it can be seen that archaeological evidence for the book of mormonwhich does exist, as will be discussed shortlydoes not constitute proof, nor does it. Nothing can take the place of a spiritual witness that the book of mormon is true. The opposition to this edition of the book of mormon is only exceeded by the opposition to the original 1830 edition, that should tell you something.
Greatest geological evidence of 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. Germans found 4 altar stones with that name in 1998. Most, but not all, mormons hold the book s connection to ancient american history as an article of their faith. The book of mormon describes a ditch being dug around the protected area. The book is entitled geology of the book of mormon by jerry d. Tyler livingston, recently named president of book of mormon archaeological forum, introduced me to a new book a few days ago. Geological evidence supports the book of mormons authenticity. While the bible has a wealth of evidence supporting its historical, chronological, and geographical accuracy, the book of mormon has been heavily criticized for its inaccuracies. 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. Geology of the book of mormon book of mormon scientific. Therefore, the mormon can have confidence that the bible is the word of god and that it can be accurately translated. The video is the third in book of mormon centrals evidence video series, the two previous videos being one on the archaeological evidence for the place called nahom, mentioned by nephi 1 nephi 16. New etymological and scientific evidence now provides a method of establishing a more detailed geography of the land northward referred to throughout the book of mormon, the old world point of.
Aug 18, 2019 in addition, the lincoln hypothesis reveals documented evidence that abraham lincoln did, in fact, check out the book of mormon as he struggled with making some of the most critical decisions of his presidency. Archaeological evidence and the book of mormon fairmormon. Jan 23, 2016 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. Atop it a fence of timbers was planted and bound together with vines. Many readers have posed this question, both out of genuine interest and also as a challenge to the book s authenticity. The list of archaeological and historical claims of the book. Archaeology is in fact, physical evidence that supports the truthfulness of a historical event. Although church members continue to discuss such theories today, the churchs only position is that the events the book of mormon describes took place in the ancient americas. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This book is a landmark event in book of mormon studies and is a book that must be read by every serious student of the book of mormon. The little book of book of mormon evidences kindle edition by hilton iii, john. Geology of the book of mormon welcome to the book of. 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. He notes that gold, silver and copper are mentioned several times in the book of mormon being found in abundance in the land.
Oct 07, 2010 in john lunds book mesoamerica and the book of mormon. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading geology of the book of mormon. This common query often expresses the questioners incorrect assumptions about archaeological methodologyassumptions usually based the questioners lack of knowledge about a very specialized academic area. Teancum and the times for battle book of mormon evidence by bookmormon. The likelihood of such a setting was greatly strengthened by john l.
Is there archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Warrens findings have been reported in church education system manuals, byu studies quarterly, encyclopedia of mormonism and the journal of book of mormon studies. In the last chapter we saw that the bible is reliable, being textually pure and verifiably accurate in many places. According to the book, two of these groups originated from ancient israel. Yorgason begins this narrative by sharing his initial personal encounter with reading the book of mormon. As seen by science, the book of mormon is stronger today than it was in 1830, 1844, 1950, or even 2000, so i expect it will continue to become stronger in the future. Book of mormon evidence come follow me supplementary study podcasts. This view finds no acceptance outside of mormonism. Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon.
In this inspiring and informative presentation, dr. Peterson, a noted scholar and lecturer, provides an intriguing look at the evidences that support the book of mormon as an ancient. Do we have the actual plates and stones mentioned in the book of. Is there any historical evidence for joseph smiths own version of how he produced the book. Many members of the latter day saint movement claim historical authenticity of the book of mormon. The use of harold blooms description of joseph smith as a religious genius in this video may mislead viewers into thinking bloom was referring directly to the book of mormon. One of the best ways to test the book of mormon s historical authenticity is to look at its names.
Jun 17, 2017 is there any archaeological evidence for the book of mormon. Intellectual evidence of book of mormon authenticity is an issue worthy of careful consideration. Archaeological evidence of the book of mormon latterday. For one particular physical evidence, look no further than a plethora of archaeological sites. Native american writings are potentially strong evidence that the occurrences described in the book of mormon actually happened. 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. Many readers have posed this question, both out of genuine interest and also as a challenge to the book. Sorensons groundbreaking book, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon, published in 1985. How could there be so many witnesses of the book of mormon and the plates and not one of them deny their testimony even when some of them became bitter toward joseph smith.
Since the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, mormon archaeologists have attempted. Destruction and disaster in 3 nephi and the geology of. 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. The book of mormon describes both within the time frame in accordance with the law of moses. Has anyone ever asked you, is there any proof or evidence for the book of mormon. Archaeological and historical evidence evidences of the. In john lunds book mesoamerica and the book of mormon. Sep 29, 2017 the book of mormon tells of king noah being executed for crimes in a lengthy ceremony similar to the mayan execution ritual.