Archaeology and the Book of Mormon

[Kanuckistani]

Most Mormons who I’ve been in contact with have told me to just “pray on it” and God will tell you that the Book of Mormon is true. Well, He told me it wasn’t… But anyway, is there any archaeological evidence that supports the Book of Mormon? The Bible has a lot of archaeological evidence to support it, along with genetic support. If a Mormon on this site could, without telling me, or everyone else to just “pray on it,” provide some evidence that makes the Book of Mormon true.

 

[TexanKnight]

Most Mormons who I’ve been in contact with have told me to just “pray on it” and God will tell you that the Book of Mormon is true. Well, He told me it wasn’t… But anyway, is there any archaeological evidence that supports the Book of Mormon? The Bible has a lot of archaeological evidence to support it, along with genetic support. If a Mormon on this site could, without telling me, or everyone else to just “pray on it,” provide some evidence that makes the Book of Mormon true.

No. None.

Even worse, Cumorah, in New York, is where the LDS prophets have declared is the Cumorah of the Book of Mormon where thousands died in battles…

and the LDS Church refuses to excavate knowing the Book of Mormon is false and excavation will reveal NOTHING

 

[Porknpie]

No. None.

Even worse, Cumorah, in New York, is where the LDS prophets have declared is the Cumorah of the Book of Mormon where thousands died in battles…

and the LDS Church refuses to excavate knowing the Book of Mormon is false and excavation will reveal NOTHING

Mormons should demand that their church evacuate Hill Cumorah … and prove to the world that either the BOM is correct. The fact that LDS leadership does not evacuate this hill speaks volumes to what we know is the truth.

Sigh

 

[TexanKnight]

Mormons should demand that their church evacuate Hill Cumorah … and prove to the world that either the BOM is correct. The fact that LDS leadership does not evacuate this hill speaks volumes to what we know is the truth.

Sigh

exactly. It shows the lds leaders KNOW their “church” is false

 

[TheIrishman]

Most Mormons who I’ve been in contact with have told me to just “pray on it” and God will tell you that the Book of Mormon is true. Well, He told me it wasn’t… But anyway, is there any archaeological evidence that supports the Book of Mormon? The Bible has a lot of archaeological evidence to support it, along with genetic support. If a Mormon on this site could, without telling me, or everyone else to just “pray on it,” provide some evidence that makes the Book of Mormon true.

I’m an archaeology major at BYU-Idaho.

Only evidence is changing some words. like horse to tapir or goat to deer. but in all honesty. Theres really no substantial evidence to show the LDS church is true. Thats why we are are “pep talked” each class period to go out and provide the evidence. Im more interested in European History so i’ll not be providing any evidence (if there is any).

 

[TexanKnight]

I’m an archaeology major at BYU-Idaho.

Only evidence is changing some words. like horse to tapir or goat to deer. but in all honesty. Theres really no substantial evidence to show the LDS church is true. Thats why we are are “pep talked” each class period to go out and provide the evidence. Im more interested in European History so i’ll not be providing any evidence (if there is any).

there isn’t…

if js had really been a prophet, he woulda known how far science would progress in the future and would have known everyone but blind Mormons would know his book was fiction

 

[TheIrishman]

there isn’t…

if js had really been a prophet, he woulda known how far science would progress in the future and would have known everyone but blind Mormons would know his book was fiction

what really grinds my gears when it comes to the claims of the book of mormon is the simple ancestry that has been proven already. I imagine in a few years time, the church is going to start teaching that the jews that came from Jerusalem to the America’s actually originated in Asia.

 

[drac16]

Some things don’t need to be prayed about. I don’t need to pray about whether it’s OK for me to cheat on my wife, for example. In my opinion, to ask the Holy Spirit if the Book of Mormon is true is to undermine the power of prayer. I believe that the Lord gave us a brain because He wants us to use it. True prayer is not an instrument by which we shut our minds off from evidence and just go by what feels right.

 

[TexanKnight]

Some things don’t need to be prayed about. I don’t need to pray about whether it’s OK for me to cheat on my wife, for example. In my opinion, to ask the Holy Spirit if the Book of Mormon is true is to undermine the power of prayer. I believe that the Lord gave us a brain because He wants us to use it. True prayer is not an instrument by which we shut our minds off from evidence and just go by what feels right.

not sure what that has to do with archaeology

 

[Marie5890]

Most Mormons who I’ve been in contact with have told me to just “pray on it” and God will tell you that the Book of Mormon is true. Well, He told me it wasn’t… But anyway, is there any archaeological evidence that supports the Book of Mormon? The Bible has a lot of archaeological evidence to support it, along with genetic support. If a Mormon on this site could, without telling me, or everyone else to just “pray on it,” provide some evidence that makes the Book of Mormon true.

No.

And just keep being that simple when talking with them. Slowly, that simple reality check, does start to break thru the Mormon mind-think.

Just tell them “There is no archaeological evidence to point the the BoM and God doesnt play mind games with His Children.”

 

[TexanKnight]

js: the Cumorah in NY is THE place mentioned in the B of M where thousands died…

BY: the Cumorah in NY is THE place mentioned in the B of M where thousands died…

Orson Pratt: the Cumorah in NY is THE place mentioned in the B of M where thousands died…

other lds prophets: the Cumorah in NY is THE place mentioned in the B of M where thousands died…

lds member: (whispering to the current leaders) pssst…we have walked all over Cumorah in NY…we have done some investigation…there are no bones or evidence ANYWHERE of anything mentioned in B of M"

Current lds leaders: the Cumorah in NY is NOT the place mentioned in the B of M where thousands died…so lets build stuff on it and have a play there every summer instead!

 

[Porknpie]

what really grinds my gears when it comes to the claims of the book of mormon is the simple ancestry that has been proven already. I imagine in a few years time, the church is going to start teaching that the jews that came from Jerusalem to the America’s actually originated in Asia.

Irishman,

Have you thought about attending RCIA or have you been meeting with anyone in the Catholic Church to learn more about it?

Keep following your sense of logic and reason…

 

[TheIrishman]

Irishman,

Have you thought about attending RCIA or have you been meeting with anyone in the Catholic Church to learn more about it?

Keep following your sense of logic and reason…

my situation is a little complicated right now but i’ll tell my story again.

I’m currently attending BYU-Idaho and will be graduating in December. I’ll be moving back to Pittsburgh where I have a beautiful Catholic church to attend RCIA in.

As for the time being, i’m seeking answers on here and reading the catechism. I’ve met some great people on the forums already that have helped me thus far on my journey. But for now, i must attend the LDS church to continue my schooling. I still pay tithing and do everything a good member should do so I don’t feel guilty continuing my schooling here. But don’t you worry, come December, i’ll be enrolled in RCIA in Pittsburgh! Can’t wait!

 

[SpeSalvi]

^it’s a very sad thing that, if you go to BYU and are NOT LDS, you’re just fine. If you attend BYU and you ARE LDS, you can be expelled for leaving the Church.

Irishman, you’ll be in my prayers. Good luck and congrats for being so close to the end of school!

 

[TheIrishman]

^it’s a very sad thing that, if you go to BYU and are NOT LDS, you’re just fine. If you attend BYU and you ARE LDS, you can be expelled for leaving the Church.

Irishman, you’ll be in my prayers. Good luck and congrats for being so close to the end of school!

Thanks! i see the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

[zaffiroborant]

^it’s a very sad thing that, if you go to BYU and are NOT LDS, you’re just fine. If you attend BYU and you ARE LDS, you can be expelled for leaving the Church.

Irishman, you’ll be in my prayers. Good luck and congrats for being so close to the end of school!

It is very sad that the LDS church does not respect freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. While I can certainly see they should not be expected to continue to subsidize the education of people who have left the church, I don’t see why those who find themselves believing in something else could not simply carry on and pay the non-LDS tuition if they so choose. The way BYU acts can only be seen as heavy handed manipulation.

 

[PoliSciProf]

The writer Hampton Sides has a very good piece on Mormonism and anthropology (“This is Not the Place”) in his anthology titled Americana. Apparently, Mormon scholars now think the BoM describes events that took place in Central./South America. There is no anthropological, linguistic, geographical or historical evidence for this claim either. Mormonism stands or falls on the belief that the peoples and events described in the BoM actually occurred and should be verifiable. I hope LDS members or others could offer their thoughts re Sides’ research on this thread.

 

[TexanKnight]

The writer Hampton Sides has a very good piece on Mormonism and anthropology (“This is Not the Place”) in his anthology titled Americana. Apparently, Mormon scholars now think the BoM describes events that took place in Central./South America. There is no anthropological, linguistic, geographical or historical evidence for this claim either. Mormonism stands or falls on the belief that the peoples and events described in the BoM actually occurred and should be verifiable. I hope LDS members or others could offer their thoughts re Sides’ research on this thread.

It is almost comical the variety of answers you get from Mormons re: the Book of Mormon activity. Some say South America. Some say North America. Some say Central America.

You would think they could at least pin down the general location

 

[campeador]

It is almost comical the variety of answers you get from Mormons re: the Book of Mormon activity. Some say South America. Some say North America. Some say Central America.

You would think they could at least pin down the general location.

Excerpts from This Is Not the Place, by Hampton Sides:

“With all of [our] great efforts, it cannot be established factually that anyone, from Joseph Smith to the present day, has put his finger on a single point of terrain that was a Book of Mormon geographical place. And the hemisphere has been pretty well checked out by competent people. Thousands of sites have been excavated.”

 

[TexanKnight]

Excerpts from This Is Not the Place, by Hampton Sides:

“With all of [our] great efforts, it cannot be established factually that anyone, from Joseph Smith to the present day, has put his finger on a single point of terrain that was a Book of Mormon geographical place. And the hemisphere has been pretty well checked out by competent people. Thousands of sites have been excavated.”

yep. the ONLY place that several lds “prophets” have claimed IS from b of m id Cumorah in New York…and that is the ONE place the lds church will not excavate. They will test lots of possible places, but the ONE place they have been told by "prophets’ is the place…they leave alone.

that, more than any other fact, should scream loudly about what the leaders believe about the b of m