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Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church/Index: Difference between revisions
 
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==Index to claims made in ''Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church''==
#REDIRECT [[Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church]]
This is an index of claims made in this work with links to corresponding responses within the FAIR Wiki. An effort has been made to provide the author's original sources where possible.
 
===Introduction===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
|xiii||The Book of Mormon talks primarily of a small group of Jews who sailed from Jerusalem in 600 B.C.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence#What are we looking for?|Book of Mormon and DNA evidence—What are we looking for?]]||
*No specific verse given. This is an incorrect statement.—Lehi was a descendant of ''Manasseh'', and was not a Jew, however, author later makes the correct statement regarding Lehi's ancestry on page 5.
|-
|xiii||Mormons believe that the dark skinned race constitutes the principal ancestors of the American Indians||[[Search for the Truth DVD:DNA#Claim: "The introduction to the Book of Mormon says after thousands of years all were destroyed except the Lamanites and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians." - Pamela Robertson|Are the Lamanites the principal ancestors of the American Indians?]]||
*This is based upon a phrase added in the 1981 introduction to the Book of Mormon.
*The 1830 Book of Mormon contains no such claim.
|-
|xiv||Joseph Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was the most correct book on earth.||[[Book of Mormon as the most correct book]]||
*No source given.
*The common source for this statement is ''History of The Church'' 4:461
|-
|xiv||The Israelites are said to have arrived in a land kept from the knowledge of other nations.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Demographics|Book of Mormon anachronisms—Demographics]]||
*{{s|2|Nephi|1|8}}
|-
|xiv||There is no mention of any non-Israelite people in the New World.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*None given.
|-
|xiv||The Book of Mormon describes the farming of Old World domesticated plants.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Plants|Book of Mormon anachronisms—Plants]]||
*None given.
|-
|xiv||The Book of Mormon mentions horse, oxen, cattle and goats in the New World.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Animals|Book of Mormon anachronisms—Animals]]||
*None given.
|-
|xv||Little has been discovered to support the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon archaeology]]||
*No specific sources.
*General reference to "anthropologists and archaeologists."
|-
<!--
|xv||The Mesoamerican cultures worshipped multiple gods and performed human sacrifice, which is not consistent with the culture of the Book of Mormon people.
|-
|xv||Many LDS scholars criticise mainstream scientific views in their defense of the Book of Mormon.
|-
-->
|xv||The Church employs academics to professionally defend the Book of Mormon.||[[Apologetics#Does the Church employ or pay LDS apologists?|Does the Church employ or pay LDS apologists?]]||
*None given.
*This is an accusation frequently made on anti-Mormon discussion boards.
|-
|xv||The weight of evidence has forced LDS scholars to scale back the scope of the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence/Geography issues|Book of Mormon and DNA evidence&mdash;Geography issues]]||
*None given.
|-
<!--
|xvi||LDS leaders ignore LDS scholarship and continue to teach that Native Americans and Polynesians are literal descendants of the Israelites.
-->
|}
 
===Chapter 1: A Chosen Race in a Promised Land===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
| style="width:5%"|3||Attempts to describe Mormon doctrine are "fraught with peril."||[[Changing doctrine]]||
*Author's opinion.
|-
|3||Reversals of doctrine regarding polygamy and regarding Blacks and the priesthood were "painful and damaging" to the Church.||[[Changing doctrine]]||
*Author's opinion.
*No examples of the "pain" and "damage" are provided.
|-
|4||The idea that the words of living prophets supersede the words of dead prophets has been "recently" promoted.||[[Changing doctrine]]||
*No source given.
|-
|4||Mormon doctrine is "fluid and changeable."||[[Changing doctrine]]||
*No source given.
|-
|7-8||The Nephites raise "herds of cattle, goats and horses."||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Animals|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Animals]]||
*No source given.
|-
|8||The Nephites raise Old World wheat and barley.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Plants|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Plants]]||
*No source given.
|-
|8||The Nephites construct a temple that is "similar in splendor" to Solomon's.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Temple in New World|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Temple in New World]]||
*No source given.
*Common source used is {{s|2|Nephi|5|16}}
|-
|8||The Nephites are skilled in the use of metals such as iron, copper, brass, gold and silver.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Metals|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Metals]]||
*No source given.
|-
|8||The Nephites use steel to fashion swords, breastplates, and arm and head shields.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Metals#Swords|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Metals&mdash;Swords]]||
*No source given.
|-
|8||The Nephites built defensive mounds around their cities.||[[Book of Mormon and warfare#Fortifications|Book of Mormon and warfare&mdash;Fortifications]]||
*No source given.
|-
|8||The Lamanites vastly outnumber the Nephites.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Demographics|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Demographics]]||
*No source given.
|-
<!--
|8||The "skin of blackness" is occasionally removed from the Lamanites when they are righteous, and returns to the Lamanites when they become unrighteous.
|-
-->
|8||The Book of Mormon links the color of a person's skin to morality.||[[Blacks and the priesthood/LDS scriptures|Blacks and the priesthood&mdash;LDS scriptures]]||
*{{s|2|Nephi|5|21}}
*''Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate'', March 1835
|-
|9||The Book of Mormon promotes the view that the "white race" is superior.||[[Blacks and the priesthood/LDS scriptures|Blacks and the priesthood&mdash;LDS scriptures]]||
*No source given.
|-
|10||In 1966 the Book of Abraham papryi were discovered.||[[Book of Abraham papyri]]||
*Larson, ''By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri'', 1992
|-
|10||The translation of the papryi does not resemble the Book of Abraham.||[[Book of Abraham/Book of the Dead|Book of Abraham&mdash;Book of the Dead]]||
*Larson, 1992
|-
|10||The denial of the priesthood to the Blacks was based upon the Book of Abraham.||[[Blacks and the priesthood/Origin of the priesthood ban|Blacks and the priesthood&mdash;Origin of the priesthood ban]]||
*No source given.
|-
|10-11||The Church publicly taught racist principles in the 1950's.||[[Racist statements by Church leaders]]||
*Mark E. Petersen, "Race Problems—As They Affect the Church," Talk given at Brigham Young University on Aug. 27, 1954
|-
|11||The 1978 revelation allowing all men to hold the priesthood came in response to "public pressure."||[[Blacks and the priesthood/Social pressure|Blacks and the priesthood&mdash;Social pressure]]||
*No source given.
|-
|12||Many General Authorities believed that the priesthood prohibition would remain in place until Christ's return.||[[Blacks and the priesthood]]||
*No source given.
|-
|12||Passages in the Book of Mormon were rewritten to "tone down references to skin color."||[[Book of Mormon textual changes/"white" changed to "pure"|Book of Mormon textual changes&mdash;"white" changed to "pure"]]||
*{{s|2|Nephi|30|6}}
|-
|12||LDS scripture states that those with lighter skin color "are favored because of what they did as spirits in a pre-earth life."||[[Blacks and the priesthood/Pre-existence|Blacks and the priesthood&mdash;Pre-existence]]||
*No source given.
|}
 
===Chapter 2: Race Relations in Colonial America===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
| style="width:5%"|17||A similarity exists between the degraded Lamanites and the Native Americans of the 19th Century.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*Brodie, ''No Man Knows My History'', 1971.
|-
|22||The Book of Mormon portrays the Lamanites as naked, head shaven, tent dwelling, arrow wielding and idle, similar to stereotypical perceptions of the Native Americans at the time.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|-
<!--
|22||Joseph Smith may have woven "frontier prejudices" into the Book of Mormon.
|-
-->
|27||Joseph Smith "fell under the spell of the mounds and could not resist the lure of buried riches."||[[Book of Mormon and the Mound Builders]]||
*Silverberg, ''The Mound Builders'', 1968.
*Vogel, 1986, 1994.
*Brodie, ''No Man Knows My History'', 1971.
|-
|27||Joseph Smith used a "seer stone" or "peep stone" to search for buried treasure.||[[Joseph Smith and seer stones]]||
*No source given.
|-
|27||Joseph Smith was charged with being "disorderly" for his money digging activities in 1826.||[[Joseph Smith's 1826 glasslooking trial]]||
*No source given.
|-
|28||Scholars have "concluded" that Joseph Smith was inspired by ''View of the Hebrews''.||[[Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews]]||
*Persuitte, 2000.
|-
|28||The New World history in ''View of the Hebrews'' "shares close parallels with the plot of the Book of Mormon."||[[Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews]]||
*Ethan Smith, ''View of the Hebrews'', 1825.
|-
|29||Joseph Smith was inspired by the myths surrounding the Moundbuilders in writing the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon and the Mound Builders]]||
*Brodie, ''No Man Knows My History'', 1971.
|-
<!--
|30||Joseph "likely" added the story of the Jaredites to account for the speculation about the diversity of Indian cultures and languages.||[[Jaredites added to the Book of Mormon as an "afterthought"]] {{nw}}||
*{{s||Ether|2|1-3}}
|-
-->
|30||Joseph "likely" added the story of the Jaredites to account for how animals arrived in the New World after the Flood.||[[Story of Jaredites added to explain presence of animals in New World]]||
*{{s||Ether|2|1-3}}
*No additional source is given by the author for this claim.
*The same exact claim is made by Brodie, [[No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith|''No Man Knows My History'']], pp. 70&ndash;72.
|}
 
===Chapter 3: Lamanites in the Latter Days===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
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!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
|37||Mormonism does not assign value to native cultures, their histories or mythologies.||[[Mormonism and native cultural traditions]]||
*No source given.
|-
|-
|37||The Lamanite "family" has expanded to include Native Americans and Polynesians.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*''Gospel Principles'', 1997, p. 268.
|-
|38||The patriarchal blessings of Native Americans and Polynesians often state that they are of the tribe of Manasseh (through Lehi).||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*{{s||Alma|10|3}}
|-
|38-39||Modern day prophets repeatedly declare Native Americans and Polynesians to be descendents of Lehi.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*Gordon B. Hinckley, ''Church News'', Mar. 13, 1999. (Colonia Juarez Chihuahua Temple dedication)
*James E. Faust, ''Church News'', Mar. 18, 2000. (Tuxtla Gutierrez Mexico Temple dedication)
*Thomas S. Monson, ''Church News'', May 27, 2000. (Villahermosa Mexico Temple dedication)
*Gordon B. Hinckley, ''Church News'', Aug. 7, 1999. (Guayaquil Ecuador Temple dedication)
*Gordon B. Hinckley, ''Church News'', May 13, 2000. (Cochabamba Bolivia Temple dedication)
|-
|40||The Church believed that Lamanites who accepted the Gospel would become light-skinned.||[[Lamanite curse]]||
*{{s|3|Nephi|2|14-16}}
*Spencer W. Kimball, "The Day of the Lamanites," ''The Improvement Era'', December 1960, 922-923.
|-
|41||A general authority claimed that the writings of Ixtlilxochitl corroborated the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements]] ||
*Milton R. Hunter, sometime in the 1960's.
|-
|42||Most Mormons are unaware that the New World has been continuously inhabited for 14,000 years.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*No source given.
|-
|42||The New World shows no sign of having experienced a universal flood.||[[Global or local Flood]]||
*No source given.
|-
|42||The Church employs apologists to defend the "myths" surrounding the Book of Mormon.||[[Apologetics]]||
*No source given.
|-
|43||Members are encouraged not to try and determine where the Book of Mormon occurred.||[[Book of Mormon geography]]||
*No source given.
|-
|45||Church leaders "seem reluctant or powerless to curtail" the belief among Mesoamerican and South American saints that they are descendents of the Lamanites.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*Author's opinion.
|}
 
===Chapter 4: The Lamanites of Polynesia===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
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!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
|47||The assumption that Polynesians are descendents of Lehi is the "most precarious" belief taken from the Book of Mormon.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|-
|47||"Mormon folklore" suggests that Hagoth colonized the Pacific.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*{{s||Alma|63|5}}
|-
|48||George Q. Cannon taught the Polynesians that they were descendents of the Israelites.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*Scott G. Kenny, "Mormons and the Smallpox Epidemic of 1853," ''The Hawaiian Journal of History'', 31:1-26 (1997).
|-
|49||Brigham Young stated in 1958 that the Polynesians were descendents of Abraham.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*Norman Douglas, "The Sons of Lehi and the Seed of Cain: Racial Myths in Mormon Scripture and Their Relevance to the Pacific Islands," ''Journal of Religious History'', 8:90-104 (1974).
|-
|49||The "curse was redefined" to apply only to people of African descent.||[[Blacks and the priesthood]]||
*No source given.
|-
|52||Words spoken in General Conference are considered to be "akin" to scripture.||[[General authorities' statements as scripture]]||
*No source given.
|-
<!--
|53||Research has confirmed that there are strong links between Polynesia and the Orient.
|-
-->
|54||Spencer W. Kimball and Heber J. Grant believed that the islanders were descendents of Lehi.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*Spencer W. Kimball, "First Presidency Message: Our Paths Have Met Again," ''Ensign'', 5:2-7 (1975)
|-
<!--
|54||The Church invested "vast sums of money" to build church schools in Polynesia, Mexico and Central and South America, but "denied" these benefits to Micronesia and Melanesia.
|-
|55||Mormons have not attempted to replace Polynesian culture like they did with Native American culture.
-->
|}
 
===Chapter 6: Science and the First Americans===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
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!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
| style="width:5%"|83||LDS Scholars frequently associate the Olmec and Maya with the Jaredite and Nephite civilizations.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites/Maya and Olmec|Amerindians as Lamanites&mdash;Maya and Olmec]]||
*No source given.
|}
 
===Chapter 9: The Outcasts of Israel===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
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!width="30%"|Response
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|-
| style="width:5%"|120||We should expect the common culture, history and ancestry to be revealed in the genes of the lost 10 tribes and those of the kingdom of Judah if they are actually related.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*No source given.
|-
|128-129||The Lemba can be genetically tied to the line of Aaron.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence#Lemba and Cohen modal haplotype|Lemba and Cohen modal haplotype]]||
*Webber Ndoro, "Great Zimbabwe," ''Scientific American'', Nov. 1997, 62-67.
*Tudor Parfitt, ''Journey to the Vanished City: The Search for a Lost Tribe of Israel'', 1997.
*Thomas, et al., "Y Chromosomes Traveling South: The Cohen Modal Haplotype and the Origins of the Lemba 'Black Jews of Southern Africa'," ''American Journal of Human Genetics'' 66:674-86 (2000).
*{{s||Ezra|2|35}}
|-
|129||In Mesoamerica, there is no genetic support for European lineages.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*No source given.
|}
 
===Chapter 10: The Lord's University===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
| style="width:5%"|135||Mormons believe that if there is a conflict between science and religion, that the science is incorrect.||[[Mormonism and science]] ||
*McConkie, ''Mormon Doctrine'', 1979. No page number given.
|-
|135-136||Mormonism reserves the right to identify scientific truth.||[[Mormonism and science]]||
*No sources provided.
|-
|136||Mormonism declares that it "corners the market" on religious truth.||[[Salvation of non-members]]||
*{{s||JS-History|1|19}}
|-
|136||Joseph Smith declared that all other religions were false.||[[MormonFAQ/Myths and Questions#"But Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?"|"Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?"]]||
*{{s||JS-History|1|19}}
|-
|136||LDS think that all other religions are the "whore of the earth" and "church of the devil"||[[Whore of the earth]]||
*{{s|1|Nephi|14|10}}
|-
|136||The current generation of Mormons is taught a selective view of Church history||[[Censorship and revision of LDS history]]||
*Boyd K. Packer, "The Mantle is Far, Far Greater than the Intellect," ''BYU Studies'', 21:259 (1981)
|-
|137||Many church members are "blissfully unaware" of Brigham Young's practice of polygamy||[[Brigham Young and polygamy]]||
*''Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young'', 1997
|-
|137||Senior church leaders prefer that members not question changes in temple ordinances.||[[Temple endowment changes]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|138||LDS ecclesiastical leaders expect "unquestioning obedience" of church members.||[[Authoritarianism and Church leaders]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|139||The Church "unofficially" discourages prayer to "Mother in Heaven"||[[Heavenly Mother]]||
*AAUP Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure. 1998. "Report of Committee A," ''Academe: Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors.'' Sept./Oct.: 71-4.
|-
|140||Church leaders are "loath" to make unequivocal statements of doctrine.||[[Changing doctrine]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|140||BYU's emphasis is on conformity rather than personal freedom.||[[Authoritarianism and Church leaders]]||
*Student Honor Code, Brigham Young University
|-
|141||CES insists that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning.||[[Mormonism and education]] {{nw}}||
*The only sources referred to are "parents."
|-
<!--
|142||CES instructs students not to attempt to locate Book of Mormon geographical locations
|-
-->
|142||Limited geography theories advanced by FARMS are "much too controversial" for CES students||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|142||Spencer W. Kimball believed in a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography||[[Amerindians as Lamanites#Talking past each other?]]||
*A talk by President Kimball given in 1977 (not listed in "Works Cited" section)
|-
|142||Church members are shocked at the "limited archaeological evidence" for the Book of Mormon||[[Book of Mormon archeology]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|143||LDS apologists continue to tell members how "scientists continue to get it wrong."||[[Apologetics]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|143||Most members follow their leaders without question.||[[Authoritarianism and Church leaders]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|143||LDS theology supports a literal interpretation of the creation of man.||[[Mormonism and science]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|143||LDS theology supports a literal interpretation of the tower of Babel.||[[Mormonism and science]] {{nw}}||
*No sources given.
|-
|143||LDS theology supports a literal interpretation of the Flood||[[Global or local Flood]]||
*No sources given.
|-
|143-144||The perception is that the Church has officially denounced evolution.||[[Evolution]]||
*McConkie, ''Mormon Doctrine'', 1979.
*Boyd K. Packer, "Our Moral Environment," ''Ensign'', May 1992, p. 66. (This talk does not specifically mention the theory of evolution - Packer is stating that we are not simply "advanced animals," which the author includes in his quote.)
|-
<!--
|144||Henry Eyring (father of Henry B. Eyring) indicated that he could accept evolution.|| ||
*Henry Eyring, ''Reflections of a Scientist'', 1998.
|-
|145||Eyring "avoided singling out senior leaders of the church for the bad press that evolution has received in LDS circles."|| ||
*Henry Eyring, ''Reflections of a Scientist'', 1998.
|-
-->
|146||The Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri||[[Garden of Eden in Missouri?]]||
*{{s||DC|116|}}
*{{s||DC|117|8-11}}
|-
|146||Mormons believe that the continents separated only after a global flood.||[[Global or local Flood]] {{nw}} ||
*{{s||DC|133|23-24}}
|-
|146||Mormons are "compelled" to believe in a global flood as symbolizing the "baptism of the earth"||[[Global or local Flood]]||
*No sources given.
|-
<!--
|148||FARMS reviews of books by General Authorities or FARMS staff are always given favorable reviews.||[[Apologetics]] {{nw}} ||
*No sources given.
|-
-->
|148||FARMS' goal is to deter members from reading any book that challenges their faith||[[Does the Church discourage reading critical material?]]||
*The author states that this is an "obvious" conclusion.
|}
 
===Chapter 11: Plausible Geography===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
|153||B.H. Roberts' manuscripts "Book of Mormon Difficulties" and "A Book of Mormon Study" were "clearly intended for publication."||[[B.H. Roberts and "Studies of the Book of Mormon"]] {{nw}}||
*Brigham H. Roberts, ''Studies of the Book of Mormon'', 2nd edition, 1992.
|-
|153||Roberts' concluded that a 19th-century origin for the Book of Mormon was "entirely plausible"||[[Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews]]||
*Brigham H. Roberts, ''Studies of the Book of Mormon'', 2nd edition, 1992.
|-
|154||LDS scholars have made a "steady retraction" of claims regarding the scale of the Nephite/Lamanite presence since the 1920's.||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory]]||
*No source given.
|-
|156||All Church presidents, General Authorities and "most church members" have believed in a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements]]||
*{{s||Alma|22|28-32}}
*{{s||Alma|50|34}}
*{{s||Alma|52|9}}
*{{s||Alma|63|5}}
*James E. Talmage, ''Jesus the Christ'', 1915.
*1981 introduction to the Book of Mormon.
|-
|156||The Book of Mormon states that the Lamanites are "the principal ancestors of the American Indians"||[[Search for the Truth DVD:DNA#Claim: "The introduction to the Book of Mormon says after thousands of years all were destroyed except the Lamanites and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians." - Pamela Robertson|Are the Lamanites the principal ancestors of the American Indians?]]||
*1981 introduction to the Book of Mormon.
|-
|156||A hemispheric geography most closely aligns with an "uncontrived" reading of the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Hemispheric Geography Theory]]||
*Author's opinion.
|-
|159||Moroni makes no mention of traveling from Central America to New York in the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory/Plates to New York]]||
*John L. Sorenson, ''An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon'', 1985.
|-
|160||There is no indication that the Book of Mormon people came in contact with others in the land.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Demographics]]||
*Brigham H. Roberts, ''Studies of the Book of Mormon'', 2nd edition, 1992.
*John L. Sorenson, ''An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon'', 1985.
|-
|163||The shrinking of Book of Mormon geographical models corresponds with the growing research showing that ancient Americans came from Asia.||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory]]||
*No source given.
|-
|164||A limited Book of Mormon setting is at odds with "a straightforward reading" of the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory]]||
*Author's opinion.
|-
|164||The limited Book of Mormon setting contradicts D&C 54:8||[[Book of Mormon geography/Borders of the Lamanites]]||
*{{s||DC|54|8}}
|}
 
===Chapter 12: Faith Promoting Science===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
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|-
| style="width:5%"|168||LDS scholars believe that Mayan cities are prime candidates for where Lehi's people lived.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites/Maya and Olmec|Amerindians as Lamanites&mdash;Maya and Olmec]]||
*No source given.
|-
|168||The Jaredites are usually identified as the Olmec||[[Amerindians as Lamanites/Maya and Olmec|Amerindians as Lamanites&mdash;Maya and Olmec]]||
*No source given.
|-
|168||Joseph Smith declared the the city of Palenque was a Nephite city, but modern scholarship indicates this city wasn't built until 600 A.D.||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements#15 Sept. 1842: Speculation that Palenque is a Nephite city|Book of Mormon geography&mdash;Statements&mdash;15 Sept. 1842: Speculation that Palenque is a Nephite city]]||
*No source given by the author.
*The statement made by the author about Palenque is incorrect. The earliest recorded ruler was was K'uk Balam (Quetzal Jaguar), who governed Palenque for four years starting in the year 431 A.D.
*If one assumes, as Joseph apparently did, that Palenque ''was indeed'' a Nephite city, and knowing as we do now the tendency for Mesoamerican conquering rulers to destroy the monuments or records of previous ones, it would not at all be surprising to see the record go back only to the time that the Lamanites conquered the Nephites (approximately 400 - 420 A.D.).
*A known reference to Joseph's statement about Palenque is {{TS1 | author=Joseph Smith (editor) | vol=3|num=22|article=Extract from Stephens' 'Incidents of Travel in Central America'|date=15 September 1842|start=915|start=915}}
|-
|168||The history of Book of Mormon archaeology is "littered with apostacy"||[[Book of Mormon geography/Apostacy|Book of Mormon geography&mdash;Apostacy]] {{nw}}||
*Michael D. Coe, "Mormons and Archaeology: An Outside View," ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' 8:40-48 (1973).
|-
<!--
|170||Thomas Ferguson was one of the better known early "Mormon archaeologists"||[[Book of Mormon archaeology]] (add info on Thomas Stuart Ferguson)
|-
-->
|172||There is no evidence of iron or steel smelting in the ancient New World||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Metals#Iron|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Metals&mdash;Iron]]||
*Michael D. Coe et al., ''Atlas of Ancient America'' (1986).
|-
|172||There were no wheeled vehicles in ancient America||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Chariots|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Chariots]] {{nw}}||
*No source given.
|-
|172||There were no draft animals to pull wheeled vehicles||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Animals#Horse|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Animals&mdash;Horse]]||
*No source given.
|-
|172||There are no archaeological remains of wheat or barley in Mesoamerica. The barley found in Arizona doesn't count because it was only in a limited region.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Plants#Barley|Book of Mormon anachronisms&mdash;Plants&mdash;Barley]]||
*No source given.
|-
|173||Deer or tapir were never ridden by Native Americans, therefore they could not be the "horses" referred to in the Book of Mormon||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Animals]]||
*No source given.
*The Book of Mormon never refers to horses being ridden by the Nephites.
|-
|173||Dee Green said in 1973 that Book of Mormon archaeology does not exist||[[Book of Mormon archaeology]] {{nw}}||
*Dee F. Green, "Book of Mormon Archaeology: The Myths and the Alternatives," ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' 4:71-80 (1973).
|-
|175||"Book of Mormon archaeology" has yielded little credible evidence||[[Book of Mormon archaeology]]||
*John E. Clark, [http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Book_of_Mormon_Geography "Book of Mormon Geography,"] ''Enclyclopedia of Mormonism'' (1992).
*Hugh W. Nibley, ''An Approach to the Book of Mormon'' (1964).
*Hugh W. Nibley, ''Lehi in the Desert: The World of the Jaredites; There Were Jaredites'', (1988).
*Bruce W. Warren, Review of F. Richard Hauck, ''Deciphering the Geography of the Book of Mormon: Settlements and Routes in Ancient America'', and John L. Sorenson, ''An Ancient American Setting for the Book of Mormon'' in ''BYU Studies'' 30:127 (1990).
*David J. Johnson, [http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Archaeology "Archaeology"] ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'' (1992).
|-
|176||The Smithsonian issues a statement that discredits the Book of Mormon||[[Smithsonian statement on Book of Mormon archaeology]]||
*Smithsonian Institution.
|-
|177||LDS apologists claim that the simplification of the Smithsonian statement indicates that the original statement is now inconsistent with the current knowledge of Mesoamerican archaeology||[[Smithsonian statement on Book of Mormon archaeology]]||
*Sorenson critique, 1995.
|-
|177||There is little evidence of a cultural link between Polynesia and the Americas. A linguistic link between a South American variety and Polynesian variety of sweet potato is not yet explained.||[[Polynesians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|}
 
===Chapter 13: LDS Molecular Apologetics===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
| style="width:5%"|180||Most Mormons have had their ancestors posthumously "baptized into the Mormon faith."||[[Baptism for the dead]]||
*No source given.
|-
<!--
|181||FARMS has downplayed the potential of James Sorenson's "global molecular geneaology project."|| ||
*No source given.
|-
-->
|181||The Molecular Genealogy Foundation may reveal disconcerting "surprises" in LDS family trees that trace back to "well known polygamists" in the early church.||[[Joseph Smith and polygamy/Children of polygamous marriages]]||
*Author's opinion that the project may reveal embarrassing information about the descendants of Joseph Smith and other Church leaders through plural wives.
|-
|184||The Indian Student Placement Program was an attempt to turn them "white and delightsome."||[[Lamanite curse]]||
*Thomas Murphy, doctoral thesis.
|-
|184||"Mormon folklore" claims that Native Americans and Polynesians carry a curse based upon "misdeeds on the part of their ancestors."||[[Lamanite curse]]||
*Thomas W. Murphy and Simon G. Southerton. 2003. "Genetic Research: A 'Galileo Event' for Mormons," ''Anthropology News'', 44:20.
|-
<!--
|185||LDS scholars experienced in DNA research have spoken only to Mormon audiences.|| ||
*Scott R. Woodward, "DNA and the Book of Mormon," FAIR. (2001)
|-
-->
|185-186||In response to the DNA issue, the Church linked to an article written by Jeff Lindsey, "a chemical engineer with no professional training in DNA research."||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*www.lds.org, "Mistakes in the News," 2003.
*Jeff D. Lindsay, [http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/DNA.shtml "Does DNA Evidence Refute the Book of Mormon?"] (2003)
|-
|186||LDS scientists have responded to DNA findings by claiming that it would be improbable to find evidence of an Israelite presence in the Americas.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*{{FR-15-2-6}} <!--McClellan, 2003-->
*Michael F. Whiting, [http://farms.byu.edu/multimedia/viewmovie.php?id=1 "Does DNA Evidence Refute the Authenticity of the Book of Mormon? Responding to the Critics,"] (2003)
|-
|186||LDS writers claim that the presence of other people in the Americas actually supports "careful readings of the Book of Mormon."||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*{{FR-15-2-1}} <!--Peterson 2003a-->
*{{FR-15-2-7}} <!--Roper, 2003a-->
|-
|186||LDS scholars "have come to the conclusion" that Book of Mormon populations comprised a very small part of a much larger group of people on the continent.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*{{FR-15-2-1}} <!--Peterson 2003a-->
|-
|187||LDS suggest that it would impossible to use DNA technology to identify a small local colony of individuals.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*{{JBMS-12-1-5}} <!--Meldrum and Stephens, 2003.-->
|-
|188||It is not likely that "founders effect" or "genetic drift" would "completely frustrate the identification of Israelite DNA in the Americas."||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|-
|188||The Book of Mormon states that the Lehite/Mulekite groups were both descended from Jewish ancestors||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence#General genetics issues]]||
*No source given.
|-
<!--
|189||The ancestry of Israelites living today will all "meet at the Caucasian branch of the human family tree."
|-
-->
|190||The Lemba prove that it is possible to detect Middle Eastern genes in a foreign environment||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence#Lemba and Cohen modal haplotype|Lemba and Cohen modal haplotype]]||
*{{JBMS-9-2-11}} <!--Sorenson, 2000b-->
|-
|190||Church leaders have consistently associated Lamanites with Central America.||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements|Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography]] ||
*Whiting, 2003b.
|-
|191||The Mayan Empire is considered by Mormons to the closest to the people of the Book of Mormon.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites/Maya and Olmec|Amerindians as Lamanites&mdash;Maya and Olmec]]||
*No source specified.
|-
|191||There is too much genetic variation in the X lineage to account for Book of Mormon people to have arrived as recently as 2600 years ago.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence/Geography issues/Haplotype X2a]]||
*Brown, et al., 1998.
|-
|192||The X lineage occurs in North America and is not found in Central America.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence/Geography issues/Haplotype X2a]]||
*Hauswirth et al., 1994
*Ribeiro-dos-Santo et al., 1996
|-
|192||LDS writers have overlooked the fact that Mitochondrial DNA research shows that 99.6% of Native Americans migrated to the American continent thousands of years before the Israelites came into existence, and none of these are candidates for Israelite origin.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*No source given.
|-
|192||The remaining 0.4% is likely the result of genetic mixture with people who came to the New World after Columbus||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*Author's conclusion.
|-
|193||LDS scholars claim that the impact of Book of Mormon immigrants to the New World made an impact "so small that they barely mattered."||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|-
|193||A great number of Native Americans are now assumed to have been absorbed into New World Israelite civilizations.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|-
|193||"Other people" in the Book of Mormon have "remained invisible" to most readers.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*No source given.
|-
|193-194||"Gentiles who inhabited the Americas before, during and after the Book of Mormon period are potential Lamanites."||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*{{s|2|Nephi|1|5}}
*{{JBMS-12-1-2}} <!--Sorenson and Roper, 2003-->
*{{JBMS-12-1-5}} <!--Meldrum and Stephens, 2003-->
|-
<!--
|194||Mormons have "traditionally thought" that any Asian presence in the New World occurred ''after'' the Book of Mormon period.|| ||
*No source given.
|-
-->
|195||The children of Lehi were to be "kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves."||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*{{s|2|Nephi|1|8-9}}
*{{s|2|Nephi|1|10-11}}
*{{FR-15-2-7}} <!--Roper, 2003a-->
|-
|195||There are no explicit references to non-Israelites living near the Lehites or Jaredites.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites]]||
*Brent L. Meltcalf, "Reinventing Lamanite Identity," ''Sunstone'', 131:20-25 (2004).
|-
|195||Five hundred years after their arrival, groups were still identified as having descended from Laman, Lemuel, Ishmael, etc.||[[Book of Mormon tribal affiliations]] {{nw}}||
*{{s||Alma|43|13}}
|-
|196||Familial terms used in the Book of Mormon imply a genetic link.||[[Book of Mormon tribal affiliations]] {{nw}}||
*{{s||Moroni|9|1}}
*Author's conclusion.
|-
|197||Joseph Smith and other leaders taught that the Book of Mormon described the origins of the Indians in the western hemisphere.||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements|Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography]]||
*{{FR-15-2-7}} <!--Roper, 2003a-->
*{{FR-15-2-8}} <!--Roper, 2003b-->
|-
|197||Mormons "tend to be hazy" regarding what past Church leaders have said regarding geography.||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements|Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography]]||
*No source given.
|}
 
===Chapter 14: Moving the Spirit===
{| valign="top" border="1" style="width:100%; font-size:85%"
!width="5%"|Page
!width="40%"|Claim
!width="30%"|Response
!width="25%"|[[Use of sources]]
|-
| style="width:5%"|199||No Semitic languages have been found in the New World.||[[Hebrew and Native American languages]]||
*No source given.
|-
|199||No wheeled chariots or horses to pull them have been found in the New World||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Animals#Horse|Horses in the Book of Mormon]]||
*No source given.
|-
|199||No swords or steel have been found in the New World||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Metals#Steel|Steel in the Book of Mormon]]||
*No source given.
|-
|200||The Israelites of the Book of Mormon made no noticable contribution to the native gene pool in the New World or in Polynesia||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*No source given.
|-
|200||Many LDS are disquieted by "how far the Book of Mormon is from reality"||[[Book of Mormon historicity]]||
*No source given.
|-
|200||Many LDS are disquieted by "how far the apologists have strayed from traditional Mormon beliefs"||[[Apologetics]]||
*No source given.
|-
|201||A supposition that the Church has a history of ancient America may some day be de-emphasized||[[Book of Mormon historicity]]||
*Brent L. Metcalf, ''New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology'' (1993).
*Mark D. Thomas, ''Digging in Cumorah: Reclaiming Book of Mormon Narratives'' (1999).
|-
|202||A limited Book of Mormon setting has "not been granted the church's official blessing in any way."||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements|Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography]]||
*No source given.
|-
|202||The general membership would not believe a limited Book of Mormon geography||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory|Book of Mormon limited geography theory]]||
*Author's opinion.
|-
|202||Millions of Mormons believe that Lehi stands at the head of their own family pedigrees.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*No source given.
|-
|202||The work of LDS apologists is not discussed in any public forum sponsored by the Church.||[[Apologetics]]||
*No source given.
|-
|202-203||The genetic support for an Israelite presence in the New World is "slim to none"||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*Author's conclusion based upon preceeding chapters.
|-
|203||Apologists are unable to find an Israelite genetic signature in the islands of the Pacific||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*Author's conclusion based upon preceeding chapters.
|-
|203||Apologists are unable to find an Israelite genetic signature in Central America||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*Author's conclusion based upon preceeding chapters.
|-
|203||Apologists have chosen to reinterpret the statements of modern prophets regarding Book of Mormon geography||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory|Book of Mormon limited geography theory]]||
*No source given.
|-
|203||Most Mormons believe that Adam and Eve were placed on the Earth 6000 years ago.||[[Evolution]]||
*No source given.
|-
|203||Most Mormons believe that the Earth was re-colonized after the Flood||[[Global or local Flood]]||
*No source given.
|-
|203||LDS apologists need to explain how people have lived in Australia and the New World separately for tens of thousands of years without evidence of a global flood having disturbed them||[[Global or local Flood]]||
*Author's opinion.
|-
|203||BYU professors have been "compelled to shrink the scale of the assumed Israelite incursion into the Americas"||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World/Limited Geography Theory|Book of Mormon limited geography theory]]||
*No source given.
|-
|204||In 1938 Joseph Fielding Smith opposed a limited geography for the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon geography/Statements|Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography]]||
*Unspecified statement by Joseph Fielding Smith in 1938.
|-
|204||The youth of the Church have been assured that the Smithsonian uses the Book of Mormon to guide their research||[[Smithsonian statement on Book of Mormon archaeology]]||
*No source given.
|-
|204||The Book of Mormon depicts the settlement of an area of the world that was previously unpopulated.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms/Demographics|Book of Mormon demographics]]||
*No source given.
|-
|205||General Authorities tell members in certain areas of the world that they are the offspring of Lehi.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]||
*Author's conclusion based on preceednig chapters.
|-
|205||The Church disregards people's own cultural history and local mythologies.||[[Mormonism and native cultural traditions]]||
*No source given.
|-
|205||The Church does not officially endorse apologetic scholarship||[[Apologetics]]||
*No source given.
|-
|205||The Church officially tells members not to attempt to link the Book of Mormon to any geographical location||[[Book of Mormon geography/New World#Is there an "official" or revealed geography?|Is there an "official" or revealed geography?]]||
*No source given.
|-
|206||There is no evidence of a Hebrew influence in Mesoamerica.||[[Hebrew and Native American languages]]||
*Author's conclusion.
|-
|206||LDS apologists believe that the "miniscule Lehite colony" had no lasting impact on the Americas.||[[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence ]]||
*No source given.
|-
|206||LDS apologists are cut off from the larger church community because of differences in their beliefs.||[[Apologetics]]||
*No source given.
|-
<!--
|206||Millions of members feel a "familial bond" with Lehi that played a central role in their conversion to the church.||[[Conversion and the Book of Mormon]] {{nw}} ||
*No source given.
|-
-->
|206-207||The General Authorities have not found a way to detach or reinterpret the Book of Mormon from real history||[[Book of Mormon historicity]]||
*Author's opinion.
|-
|207||The Church takes a "dim view" of scientists and intellectuals.||[[Excommunication of scholars]]||
*No source given.
|}
 
==Further reading==
{{SpecificAuthorsAndWorks}}

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