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. Simon southerton 1 smith, histor y of the church, 1. The chief claim, and the premise of the entire book, is that hebrews carried the message of. Dna evidence that lamanites are not the principal ancestors of native american indians. An essay on book of mormon and dna studies was added on 114 in the topical guide of the website. Dna research and mormon scholars changing basic beliefs. 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. 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. It burrows into the historical foundations of the book of mormon. Perego is a population geneticist whose main focuses of study have been the origins of native americans and the dna of joseph. Sep 19, 2009 last wednesday, rod meldrum visited nauvoo and gave a presentation on dna and the book of mormon. I cant imagine a scenario in which the book of mormon is scripture from god, but not a literal story. Debunking fairmormon letter to a ces director introduction.
Recent attacks on the veracity of the book of mormon based on dna evidence are ill considered. The issue of dna and the book of mormon involves quite a number of interesting issues. Critics intent on discrediting the restoration point to dna studies on indigenous american peoples in an attempt to expose joseph, the book of mormon, and the church of jesus christ of latterday. 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. Book of mormon and dna studies church of jesus christ. The book of first nephi, the first book in the volume, describes the actions of lehi and his family in leaving jerusalem before its destruction, following the counsel of the lord, and wandering through the wilderness for several years before embarking on a transoceanic voyage to somewhere in or near central america. In short, dna studies cannot be used decisively to either affirm or reject the historical authenticity of the book of mormon. Roberts view of the hebrews parallels have validity under church supported hemispheric model.
Published in 2004 by signature books and available at amazon. There is generally no direct support amongst mainstream historians and archaeologists for the. The videos arguing that dna disproves the book of mormon have been circulating for many years. 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. Nov 06, 2006 the book of mormon teaches that these israelites are the principal ancestors of modernday native americans. It is important to remember that most dna apologists defending the book of mormon, do so on the assumption that lehi and his family made a small genetic impact in the americas. The 21st international book of mormon evidence conference believes the book of mormon took place in north america the heartland theory, while the book of mormon central 2018 conference believes the book of mormon all took place in central america the mesoamerican theory. A literary and theological introduction, cleveland, tn. The book of mormon and lds prophets identify todays native americans as literal descendants of hebrews who traveled from jerusalem in 600. Review of john christopher thomas, a pentecostal reads the book of mormon.
In 2007 he presented on dna and the book of mormon to the book of mormon archaeological forum. The lamanites are one of the four ancient peoples described as having settled in the ancient. This was a fair and balanced overview of the book of mormon by a nonlds latterday saint author. Ive also approach fair, and am waiting to hear back. So, i agree that im not compelled to give mormonism the same kind of. Simon southerton is a native australian, geneticist, former lds bishop, and author of the book losing a lost tribe. 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.
It was a year ago this week, i spent three days at two book of mormon conferences on the same weekend. One useful new resource in this area is dna and the book of mormon by david stewart, m. 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 book of abraham does not match the papyri used by joseph smith. In the book of mormons narrative, the lamanites began as wicked rivals to the more righteous nephites, but. Variations of this theory only include that the text is a divinely inspired narrative, regardless of its. Simon is married to jane who is an english teacherlibrarian.
The book of mormon contains three groups of people that are found or end up in the western hemisphere. We now know from dna studies that the ancestors of these native peoples. There are differing views on the origin of the book of mormon. Dna research and mormon scholars changing basic beliefs lds. This must mean that amerindians are not descended from book of mormon peoples, and the book of mormon is false. Church removes racial references in book of mormon. The foundation for apologetic information and research fair. Group two is found on the western hemisphere, but they also claim to have originated from jerusalem. New discoveries in dna research currently allow scientists to test this historical claim. Last wednesday, rod meldrum visited nauvoo and gave a presentation on dna and the book of mormon. In case fairfarms decide not participate, do any of you know anyone who is a believer in book of mormon.
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. In this article, we will provide some background on this issue focusing on the scientific issues, followed by a point by point response to various statements made in the essay about the book of mormon. We continue our tour of the gospel topics essays and with the essay book of mormon and dna studies the goal to share the lds churchs gospel topic essays and help the both the believing member and the nonbeliever get a sense of the why these essays were written, who the intended audience is, whether these essays resolve the concerns of the faithful and nonbeliever and why they perhaps. Identifying ancient dna related to book of mormon people summary.
There are kjv italics present in the book of mormon. I have also written an extensive article on the topic. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon by rich deem introduction. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints affirms that the book of mormon is a volume of sacred scripture comparable to the bible.
Behar, doron m 2004, contrasting patterns of y chromosome variation in ashkenazi jewish and host nonjewish european. They flatly reject the hemispheric geography, the view accepted by most mormons and all the prophets. The lamanites also play a role in the prophecies and revelations of the doctrine and covenants, another sacred text in the latter day. The descendants of these ancient seafarers are said to be the tribes of native americans. The dna truth that the mormon belief that they are related to the american indians is false. Do they discredit the book of mormon, or is there biological and other. If the book of mormon is false, joseph smith was not a prophet. 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. Select data, created, headers, expire, serialized from cache. Thomas murphy who has been very outspoken concerning dna and the book of mormon. 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. Answers to apologetic claims about dna and the book of mormon.
When a latterday saint discovers facts for example, that joseph used a rock in a hat to translate the book of mormon, that joseph was married to other living mens wives, and that the book of abraham is a fraud, the consequences are often devastating. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon. The lds church released an essay on their website titled book of mormon and dna studies. A youtube clip entitled dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence is causing a stir among mormons as it has appeared on websites such as, ldsliving, prepare to serve youtube site and lds smile. I dont know enough about dna to comment on what can or cannot be concluded from the research. Jan 21, 2016 response to rodney meldrums incredible new dna evidence for the book of mormon a youtube clip entitled dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence is causing a stir among mormons as it has appeared on websites such as, ldsliving, prepare to serve youtube site and lds smile. Over 66,000 people viewed the video in the two weeks after it appeared. However, this attack ignores several key points, among which is the fact that the book of mormon states. Uplift 2017 dna and the book of mormon dr ugo perego youtube. I purchased over 50 copies of this dvd and sent them to mormon temples in the united states and abroad. They have the gift of being able to take a controversial subject and mock it almost to the point of being offensive without actually crossing the.
From fair mormon on the topic of the use of the kjv by other scholars in their translations of the. A branch of the qp36 lineage m323 is also found in yemenite jews. Fair the tempest in a teapot dna studies and the book of mormon by brant gardner fair. A pentecostal reads the book of mormon is a good faith attempt to open an ecumenical conversation on the religious traditions of pentecostals and latterday saints. 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. It was sold at deseret books for several years and is still available there by special order. May 07, 2010 mm community, i m looking to do a podcast series for mormon stories on book of mormon historicity and dna. Since i m lds i didnt think i was going to learn too much, since ive grown up hearing the story of the finding and translation of the book over and over again.
One derived from a single family who fled jerusalem in 600 b. Response to rodney meldrums incredible new dna evidence. 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 about 100 genetic studies have been done on about 75 groups out of 500 known native. The book of mormon narrates voyages to the americas by ancient israelites. Over the past thirty years, an enormous amount of research has been conducted into mormon originsjoseph smiths early life, the book of mormon, the. Reading a pentecostal reads the book of mormon interpreter. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of. Mm community, i m looking to do a podcast series for mormon stories on book of mormon historicity and dna. Critics intent on discrediting the restoration point to dna studies on indigenous american peoples in an attempt to expose joseph, the book of mormon, and the church of jesus christ of latterday saints as frauds. The criticism of the mormon church is the following. On january 31, 2014, the lds church published an essay entitled book of mormon and dna studies in the gospel topics series on its official website. And of course fair doesnt allow comments at the end of their articles. An insiders view of mormon origins by grant palmer. Dna samples taken from modern american indians show no connection to the dna of the peoples of the middle east.
Miraculous origins theories generally accept joseph smiths own account, that he translated an ancient record compiled and abridged by mormon, a precolumbian resident of the western hemisphere. Large and small doubleday editions of the book of mormon. 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. Ugo perego if he had anything to do with writing that essay.
Joseph smith, prophet and translator of the book of mormon, stated. Feb 18, 20 critics intent on discrediting the restoration point to dna studies on indigenous american peoples in an attempt to expose joseph, the book of mormon, and the church of jesus christ of latterday. The book of mormon and the new world dna deseret book. I believe the book of mormon people resided somewhere in the americas. Single word change in book of mormon speaks volumes the salt. Critics are not objective evidence seekers or fairminded scholars, but mere. Miraculous claims surrounding the coming forth of the book of mormon are an evidence of the prophetic calling of joseph smith. The following essay is the official lds released essay entitled book of mormon and dna studies.
The book of mormon, the founding document of the latter day saint movement and one of the. In the book of mormons narrative, the lamanites began as wicked rivals to the more righteous nephites, but when. The largest genealogical group out there is the mormon church, so fundamentally every genealogy company makes their software compatible with the churchs free familysearch site, tries to market to mormons, and at. A populationwide coalescent analysis of icelandic matrilineal and patrilineal genealogies. In january 2014, the lds church produced a new gospel topics essay on dna and the book of mormon. Order the dvd at for more than 170 years, the church of jesus christ of latterday saints has declared the book of. Dna and the book of mormon explained fulllength video youtube.
Whiting, a prominent geneticist whose work has received widespread attention it was featured as the cover story in cover article in nature in midjanuary 2003, recently gave a lecture at byu entitled, does dna evidence refute the authenticity of the book of mormon. Christensen sent a letter to the states lay leaders saying, we have noted that some local leaders or members are attempting to hold sacrament meetings, sunday school classes, and elders quorum and relief society meetings via technology. It contains a record of gods dealings with three groups of people who migrated from the near east or west asia to the americas hundreds of years before the arrival of europeans. Some lds scientists argue that the book of mormon does not present a. Mar 21, 2012 this was a fair and balanced overview of the book of mormon by a nonlds latterday saint author. This is by far our most favorite video on the church issues. Looking for an apologist to discuss book of mormon for. Book of mormon and dna studies response to an essay on book of mormon and dna studies was added on 114 in the topical guide of the website. It was released by the church to help explain how the book of mormon s credibility is not harmed due to recent dna evidence which concludes that the native americans are not the descendants of the book of mormon people, and to explain why the churchs credibility is not harmed due to having such a. Three geneticists respond to the lds essay on dna and the. However, the gentiles who receive the gospel are, in the greater part, gentiles who have the blood of israel in their veins. Does dna evidence prove the book of mormon to be false. The book of mormon makes several scientific claims that can be tested. With pride i tell those who come to my office that a lamanite is a descendant of one lehi who left jerusalem some 600 years before christ and with his family.
There are a few dvds that are available discussing some of the issues of mormonism. Such online gatherings should not be held until the first presidency lifts the directive to suspend those meetings, christensen wrote. We continue our tour of the gospel topics essays and with the essay book of mormon and dna studies the goal to share the lds churchs gospel topic essays and help the both the believing member and the nonbeliever get a sense of the why these essays were written, who the intended audience is, whether these essays resolve the concerns of the faithful and nonbeliever and why they. Sep 08, 2016 on january 31, 2014, the lds church published an essay entitled book of mormon and dna studies in the gospel topics series on its official website. According to the book, two of these groups originated from ancient israel. I believe the book of mormon is to be taken literally. The first group that a reader encounters is the family of lehi, which begins their journey from jerusalem. People of all faiths and perspectives are welcome to engage in civil, respectful discussion about topics related to mormonism. Evidence for a faster evolutionary rate of mtdna lineages than y chromosomes. Dna and the book of mormon explained fulllength video. Simon was a member of the lds church for almost 30 years, serving a mission in melbourne 198183, marrying in the new zealand temple in 1983, and serving in numerous church positions including four terms as young men. The essay asserts that dna studies cannot be used decisively to either affirm or reject the historical authenticity of the book of mormon. The lost book of abraham examining a remarkable mormon claim. Heres the ones we are aware of and our commentary on them.
The book of mormon teaches that these israelites are the principal ancestors of modernday native americans. Ive approached mike ash to participate, and he has politely declined i m waiting to hear back on his reasons. May 21, 2012 the book of mormon came to ephraim, for joseph smith was a pure ephraimite, and the book of mormon was revealed to him. Thousands of native americans from more than 150 tribes have been tested to determine their ancestry. Book of mormondna evidenceissues identifying ancient dna.
The book of mormon begins in a wellknown location, jerusalem, in 600 b. The documentary is a must see for all those who view the book of mormon as an accurate history of the native american indians. Information and research fair related to dna and the book of mormon. Sep 16, 2015 in response to mormon apologetics in 2004 he published losing a lost tribe, which explores the origins of amerindian and polynesian dna and its implications for lds beliefs arising from the book of mormon. Native americans, dna and the mormon church, signature books 2004.
His attempt was to make the case that dna studies do indeed prove the validity, accuracy, and historicity of the book of mormon. Real lives, marriages, and families are on the line. Fairmormon ar inte formellt associerad med jesu kristi kyrka av sista dagars heliga, men arbetar ideellt med att forsvara kyrkan och dess lardomar. 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 account, known as the book of mormon, first published in 1830, primarily tells the story of gods dealings with two israelite civilizations living in the new world. The book of mormon made quite a splash when it first appeared on broadway. It is free from the acrimony, spitefulness, and dishonesty that can often be seen in the shabby literature of the christian countercult. Simon southerton, dna, lamanites and the book of mormon.