The Book of Mormon
For some reason people look to both the North America Continent and the South America continent for archaeological
evidence to confirm something in the Book of Mormon. To look for archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon in South
America is to look in the wrong place to begin with. Also we are not just looking for some obscure village, but rather a great
nation. The lack of any evidence for the Book of Mormon made more of an impact on me when I realized how big of a nation
that it was that was supposed to have disappeared without a trace.
First of all I would like to show just where we should begin our search for evidence of these people mentioned in the Book of
Mormon. Next I will show just how big of a nation these people were supposed to have grown into and some of the things they
had.
In the preface of the Book of Mormon we are told how Joseph Smith was led to some gold plates by an angel he later
translated into the book of Mormon. The full story is also found in the book called the Pearl of Great Price in the section titled
Joseph Smith History 1:34 (also called Joseph Smith 2, 1:34) ( He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates,
giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the
fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; )
At the beginning of this chapter in verses 3-5 we are told this took place in Manchester, New York. Since the angel told Joseph
while in New York that these gold plates told "of the former inhabitants of this continent" we know to search for evidence on the
North American Continent. The next logical question is how big was this nation? And what sort of things did they have that we
should look for?
We can look to the Book of Mormon to supply us with these answers.
They had all manner of tools Ether 10:25.
They had silks, horses, gold, silver and various animals including elephants Ether 9:16 -19.
There was so many people they spread upon the face of the land. They had buildings, machinery, and metals including steel
Jarom 1:8.
There was so many people they could be found from coast to coast Helaman 3:8.
They had wars where as many as 10,000 people died in a single battle Mormon 6:11.
Not only was there people from coast to coast but there was building as well Mormon 1:7.
They built ships, Temples, synagogues etc Helaman 3:14.
They had a money system which included lots of different types of coins Alma 11:4-19.
It is hard to imagine that a people that were spread from coast to coast and built ships, buildings, machinery and so forth could
disappear and not leave any trace. People have constantly used archeology to confirm things written in the Bible and going
back in time just as far as the time period that the book of Mormon covers on this continent.
It stands to reason that if the Book of Mormon is true or has any historical significance at all that there would be some
confirmation of it by archeology. Out of all of the research and study done on this continent there has not been a single thing
found in archaeological diggings that connects to the Book of Mormon. In fact the geography of the land with mountains, rivers
valleys etc., have never been matched up with this or any other continent.
The book of Mormon mentions silk, steel, horses and other such things that are known not to have even been here
Pre-Columbian times. Inside the Book of Mormon we are told of several sets of ancient plates that contained the history of
these people in America from 600 B.C to 421 A.D. I find it interesting that no one knows where any of these plates are. None of
these plates have ever been found. There have been claims that archeology has confirmed the book of Mormon by some
members of the church. One of the more well known claims said that the Smithsonian institute had found proof and was using
the Book of Mormon as a guide to study America. This claim become so well known that the Smithsonian Institute was
forced to prepare a letter for the many inquires that they received concerning this.
I wrote the Smithsonian Institute myself and have included a reproduction of the letter that they sent me which you will see below
on this page.
I would like to conclude the thoughts concerning archeology and the Book of Mormon with a quote.
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.1, ARCHAEOLOGY
Archaeological data from the ancient Near East and the Americas have been used both to support and to discredit the Book of
Mormon. Many scholars see no support for the Book of Mormon in the archaeological records, since no one has found any
inscriptional evidence for, or material remains that can be tied directly to, any of the persons, places, or things mentioned in
the book (Smithsonian Institution).
Not only do we have no archaeological evidence, but the Book of Mormon also gives false information about events that took
place in other areas as well. I would like to share two examples of this here. The Bible and history say that Jesus was born in
Bethlehem. This can be verified in Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia and Matthew 2:1 yet the Book of Mormon claims Jesus
was to be born at Jerusalem
Alma 7:10. " And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers,"
The second example I want to show in the Book of Mormon is found at
1 Nephi 2:8 " And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the
valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof."
The problem with this verse in 1 Nephi is that there is no river Laman that empties into the Red Sea. In fact there is no river at
all that empties into the Red Sea.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Multimedia Disc
At the Strait of Mandeb the channel is kept open by blasting and dredging. No water enters the Red Sea from rivers, and
rainfall in the desert climate is scant; but the evaporation loss, in excess of 80 inches (2,000 mm) per year, is made up by an
inflow of water through the eastern channel of the Strait of Mandeb from the Gulf of Aden.
(International Standard Bible Encylopaedia, Electronic Database)
The Red Sea has a length of 1,350 miles and an extreme breadth of 205 miles. It is remarkable that while it has no rivers
flowing into it and the evaporation from its surface is enormous, it is not much salter than the ocean, from which it is inferred
that there must be a constant influx of water from the Indian Ocean through the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, together with an
outflow of the more saline water beneath the surface.
For some reason people look to both the North America Continent and the South America continent for archaeological
evidence to confirm something in the Book of Mormon. To look for archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon in South
America is to look in the wrong place to begin with. Also we are not just looking for some obscure village, but rather a great
nation. The lack of any evidence for the Book of Mormon made more of an impact on me when I realized how big of a nation
that it was that was supposed to have disappeared without a trace.
First of all I would like to show just where we should begin our search for evidence of these people mentioned in the Book of
Mormon. Next I will show just how big of a nation these people were supposed to have grown into and some of the things they
had.
In the preface of the Book of Mormon we are told how Joseph Smith was led to some gold plates by an angel he later
translated into the book of Mormon. The full story is also found in the book called the Pearl of Great Price in the section titled
Joseph Smith History 1:34 (also called Joseph Smith 2, 1:34) ( He said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates,
giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent, and the source from whence they sprang. He also said that the
fullness of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it, as delivered by the Savior to the ancient inhabitants; )
At the beginning of this chapter in verses 3-5 we are told this took place in Manchester, New York. Since the angel told Joseph
while in New York that these gold plates told "of the former inhabitants of this continent" we know to search for evidence on the
North American Continent. The next logical question is how big was this nation? And what sort of things did they have that we
should look for?
We can look to the Book of Mormon to supply us with these answers.
They had all manner of tools Ether 10:25.
They had silks, horses, gold, silver and various animals including elephants Ether 9:16 -19.
There was so many people they spread upon the face of the land. They had buildings, machinery, and metals including steel
Jarom 1:8.
There was so many people they could be found from coast to coast Helaman 3:8.
They had wars where as many as 10,000 people died in a single battle Mormon 6:11.
Not only was there people from coast to coast but there was building as well Mormon 1:7.
They built ships, Temples, synagogues etc Helaman 3:14.
They had a money system which included lots of different types of coins Alma 11:4-19.
It is hard to imagine that a people that were spread from coast to coast and built ships, buildings, machinery and so forth could
disappear and not leave any trace. People have constantly used archeology to confirm things written in the Bible and going
back in time just as far as the time period that the book of Mormon covers on this continent.
It stands to reason that if the Book of Mormon is true or has any historical significance at all that there would be some
confirmation of it by archeology. Out of all of the research and study done on this continent there has not been a single thing
found in archaeological diggings that connects to the Book of Mormon. In fact the geography of the land with mountains, rivers
valleys etc., have never been matched up with this or any other continent.
The book of Mormon mentions silk, steel, horses and other such things that are known not to have even been here
Pre-Columbian times. Inside the Book of Mormon we are told of several sets of ancient plates that contained the history of
these people in America from 600 B.C to 421 A.D. I find it interesting that no one knows where any of these plates are. None of
these plates have ever been found. There have been claims that archeology has confirmed the book of Mormon by some
members of the church. One of the more well known claims said that the Smithsonian institute had found proof and was using
the Book of Mormon as a guide to study America. This claim become so well known that the Smithsonian Institute was
forced to prepare a letter for the many inquires that they received concerning this.
I wrote the Smithsonian Institute myself and have included a reproduction of the letter that they sent me which you will see below
on this page.
I would like to conclude the thoughts concerning archeology and the Book of Mormon with a quote.
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.1, ARCHAEOLOGY
Archaeological data from the ancient Near East and the Americas have been used both to support and to discredit the Book of
Mormon. Many scholars see no support for the Book of Mormon in the archaeological records, since no one has found any
inscriptional evidence for, or material remains that can be tied directly to, any of the persons, places, or things mentioned in
the book (Smithsonian Institution).
Not only do we have no archaeological evidence, but the Book of Mormon also gives false information about events that took
place in other areas as well. I would like to share two examples of this here. The Bible and history say that Jesus was born in
Bethlehem. This can be verified in Grolier's Multimedia Encyclopedia and Matthew 2:1 yet the Book of Mormon claims Jesus
was to be born at Jerusalem
Alma 7:10. " And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers,"
The second example I want to show in the Book of Mormon is found at
1 Nephi 2:8 " And it came to pass that he called the name of the river, Laman, and it emptied into the Red Sea; and the
valley was in the borders near the mouth thereof."
The problem with this verse in 1 Nephi is that there is no river Laman that empties into the Red Sea. In fact there is no river at
all that empties into the Red Sea.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Multimedia Disc
At the Strait of Mandeb the channel is kept open by blasting and dredging. No water enters the Red Sea from rivers, and
rainfall in the desert climate is scant; but the evaporation loss, in excess of 80 inches (2,000 mm) per year, is made up by an
inflow of water through the eastern channel of the Strait of Mandeb from the Gulf of Aden.
(International Standard Bible Encylopaedia, Electronic Database)
The Red Sea has a length of 1,350 miles and an extreme breadth of 205 miles. It is remarkable that while it has no rivers
flowing into it and the evaporation from its surface is enormous, it is not much salter than the ocean, from which it is inferred
that there must be a constant influx of water from the Indian Ocean through the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, together with an
outflow of the more saline water beneath the surface.
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Information from the National Museum of Natural History SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20560 Your recent inquiry concerning the Smithsonian Institution's alleged use of the Book of Mormon as a scientific guide has been received in the Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology. The Book of Mormon is a religious document and not a scientific guide. The Smithsonian Institution has never used it in archeological research and any information that you have received to the contrary is incorrect. Accurate information about the Smithsonian's position is contained in the enclosed "Statement Regarding the Book of Mormon," which was prepared to respond to the numerous inquiries that the Smithsonian receives on this topic. Because the Smithsonian regards the unauthorized use of its name to disseminate inaccurate information as unlawful, we would appreciate your assistance in providing us with the names of any individuals who are misusing the Smithsonian's name. Please address any correspondence to: Anthropology Outreach Office Department of Anthropology National Museum of Natural History MRC 112 Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC 20560 PREPARED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,1996 |
STATEMENT REGARDING THE BOOK OF MORMON
1. The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian
archeologists see no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.
2. The physical type of the American Indian is basically Mongoloid, being most closely related to that of the
peoples of eastern. central, and northeastern Asia. Archeological evidence indicates that the ancestors of the
present Indians cane into the New World - probably over a land bridge known to have existed in the Being Strait
region during the last Ice Age - in a continuing series of small migrations beginning from about 25,000 to 30,000
years ago.
3. Present evidence indicates that the first people to reach this continent from the East were the Norsemen who
briefly visited the northeastern part of North America around A.D. 1000 and then settled in Greenland. There is
nothing to show that they reached Mexico or Central America.
4. One of the main lines of evidence supporting the scientific finding that contacts with Old World civilizations if
indeed they occurred at all, were of very little significance for the development of American Indian civilizations, is the
fact that none of the principal Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog) occurred in the New
World in pre-Columbian times. American Indians had no wheat, barley oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens,
horses, donkeys, camels before 1492. (Camels and horses were in the Americas, along with the bison, mammoth,
and mastodon, but all these animals became extinct around 10,000 B.C. at the time when the early big game
hunters spread across the Americas.)
5. Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before 1492 (except for occasional use of unsmelted
meteoric iron). Native copper was worked in various locations in pre-Columbian times, but true metallurgy was
limited to southern Mexico and the Andean region, where its occurrence in late prehistoric times involved gold,
silver, copper, and their alloys, but not iron.
6. There is a possibility that the spread of cultural traits across the Pacific to Mesoamerica and the northwestern
coast of South America began several hundred years before the Christian era. However, any such inter-hemispheric
contacts appear to have been the results of accidental voyages originating in eastern and southern Asia. It is by no
means certain that even such contacts occurred; certainly there were no contacts with the ancient Egyptians,
Hebrews, or other peoples of Western Asian and the Near East.
7. No reputable Egyptologist or other specialist on Old World archeology, and no expert on New World prehistory,
has discovered or confirmed any relationship between archeological remains in Mexico and archeological remains
in Egypt.
8. Reports of findings of ancient Egyptian Hebrew, and other Old World writings in the New World in
pre-Columbian contexts have frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and sensational books. None of
these claims has stood up to examination by reputable scholars. No inscriptions using Old World forms of writing
have been shown to have occurred in any part of the Americas before 1492 except for a few Norse rune stones
which have been found in Greenland.
1. The Smithsonian Institution has never used the Book of Mormon in any way as a scientific guide. Smithsonian
archeologists see no direct connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the book.
2. The physical type of the American Indian is basically Mongoloid, being most closely related to that of the
peoples of eastern. central, and northeastern Asia. Archeological evidence indicates that the ancestors of the
present Indians cane into the New World - probably over a land bridge known to have existed in the Being Strait
region during the last Ice Age - in a continuing series of small migrations beginning from about 25,000 to 30,000
years ago.
3. Present evidence indicates that the first people to reach this continent from the East were the Norsemen who
briefly visited the northeastern part of North America around A.D. 1000 and then settled in Greenland. There is
nothing to show that they reached Mexico or Central America.
4. One of the main lines of evidence supporting the scientific finding that contacts with Old World civilizations if
indeed they occurred at all, were of very little significance for the development of American Indian civilizations, is the
fact that none of the principal Old World domesticated food plants or animals (except the dog) occurred in the New
World in pre-Columbian times. American Indians had no wheat, barley oats, millet, rice, cattle, pigs, chickens,
horses, donkeys, camels before 1492. (Camels and horses were in the Americas, along with the bison, mammoth,
and mastodon, but all these animals became extinct around 10,000 B.C. at the time when the early big game
hunters spread across the Americas.)
5. Iron, steel, glass, and silk were not used in the New World before 1492 (except for occasional use of unsmelted
meteoric iron). Native copper was worked in various locations in pre-Columbian times, but true metallurgy was
limited to southern Mexico and the Andean region, where its occurrence in late prehistoric times involved gold,
silver, copper, and their alloys, but not iron.
6. There is a possibility that the spread of cultural traits across the Pacific to Mesoamerica and the northwestern
coast of South America began several hundred years before the Christian era. However, any such inter-hemispheric
contacts appear to have been the results of accidental voyages originating in eastern and southern Asia. It is by no
means certain that even such contacts occurred; certainly there were no contacts with the ancient Egyptians,
Hebrews, or other peoples of Western Asian and the Near East.
7. No reputable Egyptologist or other specialist on Old World archeology, and no expert on New World prehistory,
has discovered or confirmed any relationship between archeological remains in Mexico and archeological remains
in Egypt.
8. Reports of findings of ancient Egyptian Hebrew, and other Old World writings in the New World in
pre-Columbian contexts have frequently appeared in newspapers, magazines, and sensational books. None of
these claims has stood up to examination by reputable scholars. No inscriptions using Old World forms of writing
have been shown to have occurred in any part of the Americas before 1492 except for a few Norse rune stones
which have been found in Greenland.
I would say I do not believe the Book of Mormon is the word of God because:
1. We have no archaeology to confirm anything at all within the text to be true.
2. It is historically inaccurate in things that we do know to be true such as the birth place of Jesus and the fact that no river has
ever emptied into the Red Sea. Furthermore it tells us things like horses, steel, silk, etc. , were here which also know is not true.
3. As some Mormons suggested I did pray about it and the Lord reminded me that we only have Joseph Smiths word for it and
he is a known false prophet. This I covered in a previous chapter on this website.
1. We have no archaeology to confirm anything at all within the text to be true.
2. It is historically inaccurate in things that we do know to be true such as the birth place of Jesus and the fact that no river has
ever emptied into the Red Sea. Furthermore it tells us things like horses, steel, silk, etc. , were here which also know is not true.
3. As some Mormons suggested I did pray about it and the Lord reminded me that we only have Joseph Smiths word for it and
he is a known false prophet. This I covered in a previous chapter on this website.
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