The book of mormon was written to the lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of israel. In mormon theology, lamanites are understood as both chosen and cursed. Discovering instead that native american dna was almost 100% of asiatic origin, this seriously challenged simons belief that the lamanites are the ancestors of the american indians, and that the book of mormon is a historical document. Ces letter links to a poorly written wikipedia article as the basis of their sweeping claim. For these stories to be true joseph smiths imaginary civilizations must have been very large and covered a very large area of land. The dna truth that the mormon belief that they are related to the american indians is false. 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, is an account of three groups of people. That being said, it only take a smidgen of logic to see that dna research does not disprove the book of mormon. If the book of mormon is false, joseph smith was not a prophet. Oct 19, 2015 years ago, new orleans filmmaker michael usrys father gave a dna sample to a mormon churchsponsored genealogical project. If since the close of the book of mormon everyone is a lamanite, then lamanite is no longer a valid ethnic identity or category.
I argue that dna testing challenges some common faulty assumptions some people have made about the book of mormon, but does not attack the text itself. By book of mormon central november 25, 2018 in recent years, genetic evidence uncovered from dna testing has revealed that native americans carry primarily asian dna. Mormons contend that two groups of israelites left from israel and set sail, landing in america. For these same reasons, arguments that some defenders of the book of mormon make based on dna studies are also speculative. They were tasked to take the gospel to the lamanites, which they attempted briefly, but instead they took the gospel to the rest of the gentile world. Dna and population genetics from the annotated book of mormon page 556 a haplotype is a group of genes derived from dna that are inherited together from a single parent and a haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor with a singlenucleotide polymorphism mutation. According to the book, two of these groups originated from ancient israel. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon. Nov 06, 2006 the book of mormon teaches that these israelites are the principal ancestors of modernday native americans. X2aj is not found in north america but its importance to native american dna is virtually unknown.
The scientific evidence against the mormon churchs claim of a genetic link between book of mormon lamanites, presentday native americans and semitic dna. Dna evidence of the book of mormon in north america, linking. The book of mormon is primarily a religious book containing teachings and doctrine about god and jesus christ. Dear kayla, there is some great information available to help answer your question. The book of mormon and the new world dna deseret book. More nailpounding into the mormon churchs lamanite dna. Jul 26, 2015 over the past several years there has been a lot of debate over dna and the book of mormon.
Interestingly, how it ended up, wasnt exactly how it was sold to icelanders in the beginning. As far as anti mormon claims are concerned, the anti mormon critics had been jumping to conclusions based on lowresolution dna tests that are used for population studies. Identifying ancient dna related to book of mormon people summary. Last updated 05302011, this documents some of the interaction between book of mormon believers and skeptics relating to scientific dna research on lamanites and nephites who lds faithful believe descended from middle easterners centuries ago. The book of mormon clearly implies that migrant israelites lived over a. The express purpose of the book is to show unto the remnant of the house of israel what great things the lord hath done for their fathers. Now, finally, incontrovertible scientific evidence can either prove the book of mormon to be true and therefore mormonism is the true, restored gospel or the book of mormon is a fabricated tale and the claims of mormonism false. Many web sites proclaim the death of the book of mormon, slain by a bullet of dna. However, this attack ignores several key points, among which is the fact that the book of mormon states that lehi and his family are clearly not jews. However, this attack ignores several key points, among which is the fact that the book of mormon states. Jan, 2016 dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence that proves the book of mormon. The book of mormon teaches the ancient inhabitants of the americas native americans are descendants from the israelite group called the lamanites.
An essay on book of mormon and dna studies was added on 114 in the topical guide of the website. Genetic attacks on the book of mormon focus on the fact that amerindian dna seems closest to asian dna, and not dna from the middle east or. Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence youtube. For more than 170 years the church of jesus christ of latterday saints has declared the book of mormon to be a scriptural and literal history. Attacks on the validity of the book of mormon using dna data dna studies by two investigators.
Subtitled another testament of jesus christ, it recounts the story story of an israelite family who immigrated to and fully populated the american continents. The book of mormon tells us that when the nephites arrived in the new world they found cows, oxen, asses, and goats. The book of mormon documentary examines and compares genetic evidence identifying the dna fingerprints of the jewish populations and american indian populations, and presents the testimony of several dna experts in seeking to answer the question, are israelites the principal ancestors of native american indians. The church teaches that joseph smith translated this record from gold plates found on a hillside in upstate new york in 1820, when he was 14.
Book of mormon dna mormonism, the mormon church, beliefs. Would dna analysis show as taught by the book of mormon that many american indians are descended from ancient. The book of mormon attempts to claim that lamanites and nephites were originally one people. Mormons have worlds largest database on human race. The book of mormon and the origin of native americans from a. I argue that dna testing challenges some common faulty assumptions some people have made about the book of mormon. When asked about the churchs official position on this matter by a writer, a church spokesman said. The conference is an annual event sponsored by the book of mormon archeological forum. The book of mormon has come under heavy fire from critics in light of dna evidence that is said to refute the book of mormon, for the evidence points to asiatic origins, not middle eastern origins of the ancient inhabitants of this continent. Wikipedias other article on americas settlement does not. May 11, 2009 a recently published book claims that dna evidence proves the book of mormon, one of the books of scripture used by the mormon church, incorrect.
It burrows into the historical foundations of the book of mormon, a 175yearold transcription that the. Its the 5ton elephant in the room that researchers geneticist do not want to talk about. Does dna evidence prove the book of mormon to be false. While critics may believe that book of mormon dna testing entirely undermines mormon beliefs, it is important to realize that some underlying assumptions may have lead to faulty conclusions. The title page of the book of mormon states it is an abridgment of the record of the people of nephi, and also of the lamanites written to the lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of israel. While dna evidence shows that ultimately all human populations are rather closely related, to date no intimate genetic link has been found between ancient israelites and the indigenous peoples of the americasmuch less within the time frame suggested by the book of mormon. Dna samples taken from modern american indians show no connection to the dna of the peoples of the middle east. Critics of the lds church recently latched onto dna studies that point to a predominant asiatic origin to the american indians and conclude that the book of mormon cannot be an ancient record as claimed by joseph smith. A recently published book claims that dna evidence proves that the book of mormon, a book of scripture used in conjunction with the bible by the mormon church, is incorrect and points to an asiatic origin versus a middle eastern origin for the inhabitants of the american continents. Dna evidence is incredibly problematic for the book of mormon and something no apologist wants to touch anymore. Dna evidence and the book of mormon conclusive proof that. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints need to realize that.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading who are the children of lehi. Its database was later acquired by the popular website. Applying dna studies to the book of mormon assumes the validity of the global colonization hypothesis. Is there dna evidence between native americans and the. The book of mormon describes a single battle between nephites and lamanites where the nephite casualties alone numbered over 100,000 mormon chapter 6. The book of mormon and lds prophets identify todays native americans as literal descendants of hebrews who traveled from jerusalem in 600 b. New discoveries in dna research currently allow scientists to test this historical claim. May 21, 2012 i would also point out the absence of any explicit mention of native people in the book of mormon is a problem for apologists that is not so easily dismissed. Dna and the book of mormon kindle edition by jeffrey meldrum, trent d. While gutting the term lamanite of any ethnic significance removes the indicting sting of dna evidence contra the book of mormon, it in turn raises an important question. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Byu gene data may shed light on origin of book of mormon s lamanites.
With dna sampling, you may or may not find evidence of a connection to the old world, he says. The book of mormon and existing data show that the events in the book took place in a limited geographical area about the size of israel and other people inhabited the lands along with them. Lamanites is a term used in the book of mormon and was originally used to describe the descendants of laman, the firstborn son of lehi a prophet who was led by god out of jerusalem to the promised land or the americas, and his followers. On, a reader wrote in and complained that her native american ancestry did not show up in her dna test. Archaeological and historical evidence dna and the book of. The book of mormon clearly implies that migrant israelites lived over a wide area of the american continent. In 2014 the church quietly published book of mormon and dna studies, an essay which distills an avalanche of mormon apologetics published solely in lds journals, and attempts to address population genetics. This must mean that amerindians are not descended from book of mormon peoples, and the book of mormon is false. The book of mormon for more than 170 years, the church of jesus christ of latterday saints has declared the book of mormon to be a scriptural and literal history. The identity of the lamanites, including especially their identity in the latterdays among native american peoples, remains an open question which readers of the book of mormon. This book explains why dna testing is likely never going to show any. This has caused many to wonder how modern native americans could possibly be descendants of lehi.
This video is an eyeopening look for mormons to see the deception laid before them by clearly proving that there is no evidence to support the book of mormon and, in fact, provides contrary evidence. The book of mormon teaches that these israelites are the principal ancestors of modernday native americans. When looking at the mormon question the religions claims and whether it is fundamentally a true religion, you have to look at the totality of the evidence, the big picture, if you will. While the church has pinned its hopes on the work of limited geography apologetics, the essay makes no mention of geography at all. Dna lamanites book of mormon genetics genealogy genesis. The book uses genetic evidence to examine the historical. The churchs response to recent summaries of the scientific evidence in this regard, most notably provided by tom murphy in various published papers, has been to indicate that all is well on its official website, followed by a reference to articles from the journal of book of mormon studies respecting dna and the book of mormon. Nothing is known about the extent of intermarriage and genetic mixing between book of mormon peoples or their descendants and other inhabitants of the americas, though some mixing appears evident, even during the period covered by the book s text. This new evidence, in contrast to the first, appears to provide support for the book of mormon as well as and an interesting geographic paradigm for the events therein.
If native americans are not of jewish descent, then the bom cannot be true. Book of mormondna evidenceissues identifying ancient dna. The mormon churchs quest to save souls helped fuel the dna. In these circumstances, it is possible that a small group of israelites who migrated into the americas and. The controversy arises from dna studies of native american peoples. It is an article titled book of mormon and dna studies. Book of mormon title page it was written by ancient american prophets for our day mormon 8. As to whether these were the first inhabitantswe dont have a position on that. Much as critics and defenders of the book of mormon would like to use dna studies to support their views, the evidence is simply inconclusive. Consequently, simon resigned from his calling as bishop in 1998 and left the church soon thereafter. The book of mormon did come by way of repentant gentiles when joseph smith and the early saints ushered in the restoration of the gospel of jesus christ. Dnalamanites are a remnant of the jew book of mormon. Genetic attacks on the book of mormon focus on the fact that amerindian dna seems closest to asian dna, and not dna from the middle east or jewish dna.
Attacks on the book of mormon using results of dna studies. Book of mormon dna evidence is the holy grail for mormons and antimormons alike. Popular ancestry sites being mined by cops for dna evidence. He addressed a book of mormon lands conference on 2007oct20 in salt lake city, ut. Thousands of native americans from more than 150 tribes have been tested to determine their ancestry. Dna and the book of mormon the traditional latterday saint position t he book of mormon recounts the story of a small israelite group led by lehi and also one headed by mulek from ancient jerusalem to the american continent in approximately 600 bc. Highly recommended for all lds and those interested in the lds response to the dna and book of mormon. Prophets who taught of the messiah were called from among this people for over a. A number of investigators have used genetic and blood testing studies to show that native americans are related closely to the inhabitants of siberia. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon by rich deem introduction. Dna research and mormon scholars changing basic beliefs. Dna controversy is an issue that most critics believe completely undermines mormon beliefs in the truthfulness of the book. The mormon churchs quest to save souls helped fuel the dnatesting boom.
To treat it primarily as anything else is to treat it as a very shaky foundation. The essay asserts that dna studies cannot be used decisively to either affirm or reject the historical authenticity of the book of mormon. When highresolution tests the type used by police forensics scientists to identify individuals, not large population groups were done, genetic markers for hebrew dna showed up. This topic is especially relevant to the current debate on the applicability of dna evidence to the question of book of mormon historicity, as such evidence is. The main theme of the book revolves around the descendents of a prophet named lehi, who was a descendent of the biblical manasseh, according.
Dna analysis has concluded that native american indians do not originate from the middle east or from israelites but rather from asia. When the churchs essay came out, dna studies were done with mitochondrial maternal and y chromosome paternal analysis. Joseph smith said in the introduction to the book i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone to our religion yet, the evidence shows the book of mormon is not revelation from god, but a fictitious story written by joseph smith. The controversy stems from dna studies of native american peoples. Before we begin to discuss book of mormon dna proofs and questions, here is an example that shows the difficulties in finding lamanite dna back to 600 b. Nothing is known about the dna of book of mormon peoples. Today we see that the iceland dna project does indeed merge genealogy, medical history, and dna info that was mostly voluntarily contributed by a population that was fooled into thinking it was a good thing. The book of mormon makes several scientific claims that can be tested. They became two peoples, the lamanites one dark and evil, the nephites white and good, soon after arrival.
Joseph smith claimed that the book of mormon is the. In summary, dna evidence and the book of mormon is long overdue. Anti mormon groups claim that a lack of dna evidence connecting the people of south and central america to the middle east is proof that the book of mormon is not a true record of jewish people in the new world. The book of mormon living hope ministries dna and the book of mormon record, by bill mckeever lamanites no more. They suggest that the book of mormon makes specific predictions about the genetic structure of the nephite lamanite lineage, that this genetic structure should be identifiable in the descendants of the surviving lamanites, and that if the book of mormon is true, then these predictions should be verifiable through dna evidence.
Nothing is known about the dna of book of mormon peoples, and even if their genetic profile were known, there are sound scientific reasons that it might remain undetected. What influence might the jaredites have had on new world dna. They admit that there were others here before lehi. While dna shows that ultimately all human populations are closely related, to date no intimate genetic link has been found between ancient israelites and indigenous americans, much less within the time frame suggested in the book of mormon. The lds church released an essay on their website titled book of mormon and dna studies. The mainstream scientific consensus about the origin of the ancient americans and peoples is at odds with the claims put forth in the book of mormon, though mormon apologists have made efforts to reconcile these contradictions.
Another testament of jesus christ, is true, not false. The book of mormon documentary accurately presents the consensus of the scientific community that northern asia not israel is the place of origin of the native american indians. The chief claim, and the premise of the entire book, is that hebrews carried the message of the coming messiah on a voyage across the atlantic. The evidence strongly contradicts the historical accounts contained within the book of mormon and statements in the doctrine and covenants where god referred to the indians in missouri as lamanites. The salt lake tribune byu gene data may shed light on. Identity of the lamanites in the book of mormon summary. Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence that proves the book of mormon. Dna evidence of the book of mormon in north america, linking native americans to the jewish population in the middle east. The lds church claims they are and the validity of the book of mormon requires that they are. This page is an appendix to dna and the book of mormon.
Dna science challenges lds history christian research. Book of mormon dna religionwiki fandom powered by wikia. The lamanites also play a role in the prophecies and revelations of the doctrine and covenants, another sacred text in the latter day. I also sent a copy to byu university, to farms, the mormons branch that is in charge of protecting mormon beliefs, asking how i could refute this dvd. Dna marker x2aj is probably the greatest dna evidence for the book of mormon thus far. Even the introduction in recent printings of the book of mormon states that lamanites are the principal.
Simon southerton, dna, lamanites and the book of mormon. The main purpose of the book of mormon is to the convincing of jew and gentile that jesus is the christ, the eternal god, manifesting himself unto all nations. The criticism of the mormon church is the following. Therefore the indians have no right to the land, because they gave it up by choosing evil. Lamanites and dna studies in recent years, genetic evidence uncovered from dna testing has revealed that native americans carry primarily asian dna. Mormons and mitochondrial dna by chad ressler in august 2004 simon southerton released a book entitled losing a lost tribe. However, dna evidence shows no connection between american indians and israel. The book of mormon and dna studies religious tolerance. Brant gardner is a software consultant with training in mesoamerican studies and anthropology. Dna evidence proves book of mormon claims about ancient. Its interesting to note that many mormons are now admitting that most native americans are of asian or mongolian descent. I purchased over 50 copies of this dvd and sent them to mormon temples in the united states and abroad. Thomas murphy, mormon anthropologist, american apocrypha, 2002, p. The book of mormon claims that the native american peoples are descended from the house of israel, but the dna evidence, according to this book, points to an asiatic origin for the american continents native people.
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