Joseph smith consistently claimed that he translated the book of mormon from a set of ancient golden plates which were delivered to him by an angel. One of the core convictions of the catholic church is that it is the one true church and the gates of hell will never prevail against it, which completely rules out the idea of a great apostasy. Moronis americamaps edition book of mormon evidence. The book of mormon can be true without being historical. Jul 04, 2011 mormons claim that the book of mormon is the most accurate, complete account of the people, culture, and events of ancient america.
Most, but not all, mormons hold the books connection to. It is over 530 pages long, and complicated, and is an uplifting testament of the divinity of jesus christ. The rise and fall of nations what leads to and causes it. The book of mormon s most spectacular recorded event was a postresurrection appearance of jesus christ himself among the nephite people 3 nephi 11. The original book of mormon transcript the book of. And yes, joseph smith did decline to retranslate them. Sep 20, 2017 while arguments over the historicity of the book of mormon seem to have more at stake to members of the lds church than arguments surrounding the historical accuracy of the gospel of matthew, i suppose our need for the book to be historical is in part due to our proximity in time to the event, our modern desire for precision, and the. 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.
Top 10 embarrassments of the mormon religion listverse. Prophecies, we see how accurate the book of mormons description of him is. Why is the book of mormons historical authenticity so important. The book of mormon is supposed to be a history of real people living in a real place. The book of mormon describes itself as an abridgment of the record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites as well as an abridgment taken from the book of ether also, which is a record of the people of jared, which was sealed by the hand of moroni, and hid up unto the lord, to come forth in due time by way of the gentilethe interpretation thereof by the.
One of the biggest testimonies to me of the historical accuracy of the book of mormon is how accurately it depicts human nature, including. Facts the mormon church doesnt want you to know 4mormon. The book of mormon vs the bible, part 2 of an indepth study of latter day saints archeology the book of mormon verses the bible, part 2 of an indepth study with the great vast amounts of evidence we find in the bible through archeology, why is there no evidence for anything writte in the. The book of mormon purports to give an account of two civilizations formed by families who migrated to the americas. If zedekiah was king like is claimed, babylon had already come. Wheat is mentioned once in the book of mormon narrative dating to the same time period.
The book of mormons most spectacular recorded event was a postresurrection appearance of jesus christ himself among the nephite people 3 nephi 11. The book of mormon contains every truth revealed to joseph smith in the latter days. The founder of mormonism, joseph smith, declared that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth. As for me, i have read the book of mormon, and dont believe that an uneducated backwoods farm boy could have written that book. Volcanoes and the historicity of the book of mormon book of. Book of mormon difficulties, contradictions and explanations. A a merciless mocking of religion by the creators of south park b a show with real characters that people of faith even mormons can. Excluding the bible and similar writing, can you prove to an atheist or to someone that is agnostic that god exists. The book of mormon does indeed have authentic semitic constructions in it, but lds need to tread cautiously in establishing them. The book of mormon claims to be a history of ancient peoples inhabiting central america until 421 a. Yes, the first 116 pages of the book of mormon were lost.
The evidence for their existence in ancient mesoamerica during the time of the book of mormon is a striking confirmation of the accuracy of the nephite account and suggests the need for patience and more careful study about other elements of the text which may at first seem strange to modern readers. As a result, the prophet joseph smith provided more accurate translations of key verses and chapters in the bible. Yet, the book of mormon musical also contains less benign inaccuracies, like misrepresenting joseph smiths history, distorting mormon epistemology and misconstruing the churchs teachings about the afterlife. Most agree that the garden of eden, adamondiahman, and cumorah were located in north america, and we know, the. Is the book of mormon bom an authentic ancient history of ancient american peoples, or is it a work of 19thcentury religious fiction. People are sometimes troubled when they see artists depictions of the prophet and oliver sitting at a table while joseph views the plates as they sit in plain sight. Not only is there no archeological evidence for a language such as reformed egyptian hieroglyphics, there is no archeological support for lands such as the land of moron ether 7. Oct 02, 2018 the evidence for their existence in ancient mesoamerica during the time of the book of mormon is a striking confirmation of the accuracy of the nephite account and suggests the need for patience and more careful study about other elements of the text which may at first seem strange to modern readers.
Mormons claim that the book of mormon is the most accurate, complete account of the people, culture, and events of ancient america. Book of mormon learning assessment 1 of 4 quiz quizizz. Smith, then 24 years old, claimed that he had not composed the text of the book, but that he had translated it from a set of golden plates which he had dug out of a nearby hill under the. Earlier this year, scott rudin, a producer for the book of mormon musical, told npr about a conversation he had with a man who attended a. Book of mormon is not historically accurate, but bible is. This means that anything mentioned in the book of mormon takes place from approximately 2200 bc to approximately 421 ad. None of the events in jerusalem in 1 nephi make historical.
Whoever composed the narrative, however, nodded more than once one is tempted to say he lapsed into a coma. Although it serves primarily as a religious text, it is to be interpreted literally as being an actual, historical record of the inhabitants of the ancient americas. What is the longest chapter in the book of mormon and whats it about. Today, mormons use the book of mormon in much the same way that christians use and study the bible. Volcanoes and the historicity of the book of mormon book. Although studies have verified, again and again, the precision and accuracy of the book of mormon, moronis statement. Serious study of the book of mormon by latterday saints is flourishing today as. The mormon church the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. Scholars reject smiths claims of ancient origin and consider the. From an archaeological perspective not at all there has not been one single find in all of the usa or the americas that confirm any of the bom. Modern methods of estimating the age of the scroll and its flax, or linen cover, reveal the fact. The book of mormon is the only explanation for this scripture. How accurate is the book of mormon not very, there have been 39 changes in the book since the so called inspired translations by joseph smith.
Furthermore, while archeology is a powerful testimony to the accuracy of the bible the same cannot be said for the book of mormon. 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. The book of mormon the most correct of any book on earth doesnt waste any time getting its history wrong on the first page of the entire thing. The biting satirical musical that mocks mormons received a rousing reception in its firstever showing in the heart of salt lake city. If that were true, then scholars who study ancient american archeology, anthropology, culture, linguistics, etc. A cursory examination of the tales told in the bom is enough to answer this question.
For the first 150 years of mormonisms existence, everyone thought it was a story about a people who left the middle east and came to south or central america, and who fought wars clear up into new. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Hebraisms that could have been known to joseph smith may still be authentic, and may still enhance our appreciation of the text, but they are weak evidence for. While it is claimed that the book of mormon was translated from gold plates written between 600 bc and 421 ad, it contains vast segments of verses and even whole chapters from the king james version kjv of the bible. The book of mormon is revered by millions of latterday saints. The word of wisdom and the three degrees of glory are truths restored in the book of mormon. Smith once called the book of mormon the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion smith, 1902, 4.
While arguments over the historicity of the book of mormon seem to have more at stake to members of the lds church than arguments surrounding the historical accuracy of the gospel of matthew, i suppose our need for the book to be historical is in part due to our proximity in time to the event. 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. In the book of mormon, the testimony of jesus christ is clear, undiluted, and full of power. Jun 23, 2011 the book of mormon is blindly accepted even though archaeology has disproven many of the facts that are claimed by it. The original book of mormon transcript the book of mormon. Below is the modern map of the area of smiths youth. The book of moroni, chapter 10 heading, book of mormon. 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. Apologetics press the book of mormon and the ancient. But i also believe the historical accuracy is critical to my full comprehension of the most correct book on the earth. Another group came much earlier, when god confounded the tongues at the tower of babel. 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. Scholars reject smiths claims of ancient origin and consider the book a fabrication by smith, drawing on material and ideas from contemporary 19thcentury works rather than translating an ancient record. The heading for chapter 10 of moroni states that this last chapter of the book of mormon was written about a.
Interpreting the evidence, journal of book of mormon studies 22 1993. The prophet joseph smith said, 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. 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. The book itself claims to be an ancient record of gods dealings with a remnant of the house of israel in the new world. Mormon archaeological argument that proves the historical accuracy of b of m. Archaeological science versus claims of the book of mormon. So read the title page in the june 1829 application, the printers manuscript, and the 1830 edition of the book of mormon. Mormonism is a religion less than two centuries old, but in this short time it has managed. Debunking 5 myths about the book of mormon lds living. Obviously, the plates never sat exposed in plain view, and these. Think joseph smith could have gotten that right by sheer chance. If a variety of similar reinforcing references concerning an isthmus should actually exist, than everyone writing their geographies around this core concept would be.
Jun 15, 2011 the book of mormon vs the bible, part 2 of an indepth study of latter day saints archeology the book of mormon verses the bible, part 2 of an indepth study with the great vast amounts of evidence we find in the bible through archeology, why is there no evidence for anything writte in the. Artistic depictions of the book of mormon translation summary. It purports to be an infallible revelation from god given to joseph smith jr. Jun 11, 2009 furthermore, while archeology is a powerful testimony to the accuracy of the bible the same cannot be said for the book of mormon. I believe that it is what it says it is the record of a postresurrection visit by jesus to a group of. Lds church members are taught that the book of mormon bom is scripture, as well as a true record of the inhabitants of the americas from about 2200 bc to 420 ad. It is claimed that the presence of chiasmus in the book of mormon is either coincidental, an artifact of the observer, or not impressive since examples of chiastic patterns have been found in the doctrine and covenants or other 19th century writing. The accuracy of smiths story has been widely invalidated. I guess my real question is, could i affirm the historical accuracy of the book of mormon as a catholic. The only bible that joseph smith relied on was the king james version. In the introduction of the book of mormon, smith states that it is the record of gods dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the americas, which also contains the fullness of the everlasting. Many have seen the broadway musical, the book of mormon, but how much of the musical is actually correct teachings of the church of jesus christ of.
Mormonism and historyaccuracy of church art fairmormon. Mormon church publishes its first official history in nearly a century, and the result is an easytoread volume that tackles some hard facts. According to it, the population of their descendants called nephites and. Barley is mentioned three times in the book of mormon narrative dating to the 1st and 2nd century bc. Arguments by antichristians that have been used for millennia that are still being used today. In this episode, three geneticists respond to the lds essay book of mormon and dna studies, and to apologist michael ashs article entitled the dna challenge to the book of mormon that fizzled. Historical accuracy of book of mormon faith in god. That is, the thick darkness subplot of 3 nephi 8 is such that joseph smith could not have authored it himself while living in upstate new york in 1829, a fact that suggests he also did not author the other plots and subplots of the book of mormon. How accurate are the songs in the musical, the book of mormon.
Apologetics press the book of mormon and the ancient evidence. No evidence of a reformed egyptian language has ever been discovered. Why is the book of mormons historical authenticity so. Ok, thats some pretty lazy, and intentionally misleading storytelling right there. Mormon archaeological argument that proves the historical accuracy of b of m the book of mormon claims to be a history of ancient peoples inhabiting central america until 421 a. Some have attempted to separate the historical claims made in the book of mormon with its theology. Thus the lds contends that the book of mormon is another testament of jesus christ. Many members of the latter day saint movement claim that the book of mormon is historically accurate. 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. Rudins anecdote echoes a common refrain that the shows producers have repeated since before it opened, that the book of mormon, while obviously satirical, offers an accurate depiction of latterday saint doctrines and culture. Exmormons take on broadways book of mormon arizona republic. Church admits book of mormon not history and to go to lengths to translate the words he wants so that he can be redundant as if saying that it is a miraculous miracle somehow makes it even better than anyone might have thought otherwise.
Yet, in the 160 or so years since smith spoke those words, an overwhelming number of highly competent and trustworthy authorities have pointed out that on the basis of language, history, science, logic, consistency, and theology. The book of mormon shall stand as a testimony against the world, ether 5. Some 23 feet long and made of leather, it is a remarkable testimony to the textual accuracy of the bible as we know it today. How to find accuracy book of mormon archaeological forum. Which chapter in the book of mormon highlights the beginning of christs ministry in the americas. The fact that many of the names or words in the book of mormon are unlike those of biblical accounts actually enhances the book of mormon s historical accuracy because many of the accounts from the book of mormon were written at a time and place far removed from those of the bible.
A literary structure known as chiasmus exists in the book of mormon. One group of families came from jerusalem in 600 bc and afterward separated into two nations, known as the nephites and the lamanites. Frankly, 3 nephi 8 of the book of mormon contains content that unequivocally supports the historicity of the book of mormon. Is there evidence for the authenticity of the book of mormon. The book of mormon is blindly accepted even though archaeology has disproven many of the facts that are claimed by it.