
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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The DVD hopes that the reader will be impressed by the legal use of DNA (which is very precise) and assume that the science as (mis)applied to the Book of Mormon is equally solid. | The DVD hopes that the reader will be impressed by the legal use of DNA (which is very precise) and assume that the science as (mis)applied to the Book of Mormon is equally solid. | ||
The DVD did not, of course, mention the work of Dr. John M. Butler, PhD. Dr. Butler is an internationally- | The DVD did not, of course, mention the work of Dr. John M. Butler, PhD. Dr. Butler is an internationally-renowned expert in the use of DNA for forensic work, and a member of the FBI’s Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM). (See Dr. Butler's CV [http://www.cstl.nist.gov/biotech/strbase/butler.htm here].) He is also an LDS bishop. | ||
He literally "wrote the textbook" used to train law enforcement personnel on DNA: | He literally "wrote the textbook" used to train law enforcement personnel on DNA: | ||
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The introduction to the Book of Mormon is not part of the scripture. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who helped write the introduction and other aids for the current edition of the scriptures was quite clear that the non-scriptural textual items were helps, not canon, and even granted they could well contain mistakes. This likely applies to the introduction, which was only inserted in 1981. (See: {{DoR|start=250, 289|end=290}}) | The introduction to the Book of Mormon is not part of the scripture. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, who helped write the introduction and other aids for the current edition of the scriptures was quite clear that the non-scriptural textual items were helps, not canon, and even granted they could well contain mistakes. This likely applies to the introduction, which was only inserted in 1981. (See: {{DoR|start=250, 289|end=290}}) | ||
It is significant that Ms. Robertson appeals to something that is ''not'' in the Book of Mormon. She hopes she can settle the matter without even addressing the Book of Mormon text itself | It is significant that Ms. Robertson appeals to something that is ''not'' in the Book of Mormon. She hopes she can settle the matter without even addressing the Book of Mormon text itself. | ||
It is true that some LDS members and leaders have believed that the Book of Mormon teaches that all Amerindians are entirely descended from Book of Mormon peoples. But, as early as 1928, a completely different view was taught in General Conference by Elder Levi Edgar Young: | It is true that some LDS members and leaders have believed that the Book of Mormon teaches that all Amerindians are entirely descended from Book of Mormon peoples. But, as early as 1928, a completely different view was taught in General Conference by Elder Levi Edgar Young: | ||
:''There must be a clear distinction, it grows every year more evident, ''between the origins of America's ancient people and the sources of their culture.'' The human material of the pre- Columbian societies probably came from Asia by way of Alaska, the orthodox route long accepted for the American Indians...Among many social belongings abandoned along the route seem to have been most of the things called intellectual. The men and women who peopled America arrived, intellectually, with the clothes they stood in...Dr. Uhle urges an alternative [theory for how high culture arose in the Americas]...Occasional cultured mariners from India, China, Japan or other lands may have landed, he believes, few in numbers, but full of ideas, to bring to the rude American societies...just the hint that culture was possible. ''Small numerically as this source of inspiration must have been, it may conceivably have been the seed from which sprouted the great achievements of Peru and Central America... | :''There must be a clear distinction, it grows every year more evident, '''between the origins of America's ancient people and the sources of their culture.''' The human material of the pre-Columbian societies probably came from Asia by way of Alaska, the orthodox route long accepted for the American Indians.... Among many social belongings abandoned along the route seem to have been most of the things called intellectual. The men and women who peopled America arrived, intellectually, with the clothes they stood in.... Dr. Uhle urges an alternative [theory for how high culture arose in the Americas].... Occasional cultured mariners from India, China, Japan or other lands may have landed, he believes, few in numbers, but full of ideas, to bring to the rude American societies...just the hint that culture was possible. '''Small numerically as this source of inspiration must have been, it may conceivably have been the seed from which sprouted the great achievements of Peru and Central America....''''' | ||
::<small>—{{CR|title=No title|author=Levi Edgar Young|date=October 1928|start=103|end=106, | ::<small>—{{CR|title=No title|author=Levi Edgar Young|date=October 1928|start=103|end=106, emphasis added}}</small> | ||
Clearly, Elder Young did not feel that there was any "official" or "required" view of what percentage of American Indians are Lamanites—Church members are not bound by the interpretations of men, but only by what the scripture ''says.'' | Clearly, Elder Young did not feel that there was any "official" or "required" view of what percentage of American Indians are Lamanites—Church members are not bound by the interpretations of men, but only by what the scripture ''says.'' | ||
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::<small>—Stewart Reid, LDS Public Relations Staff, quoted by William J. Bennetta in ''The Textbook Letter'' (March-April 1997), published by The Textbook League (P.O. Box 51, Sausalito, California 94966).</small> | ::<small>—Stewart Reid, LDS Public Relations Staff, quoted by William J. Bennetta in ''The Textbook Letter'' (March-April 1997), published by The Textbook League (P.O. Box 51, Sausalito, California 94966).</small> | ||
Note too that both the public affairs statement—and Elder Young's talk | Note too that both the public affairs statement—and Elder Young's talk—came well before any DNA attacks on the Book of Mormon. These are not, as some critics have complained, attempts to hide from DNA 'science.' | ||
'''To read more:''' | '''To read more:''' | ||
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Ms. Robertson really has not done her homework | Ms. Robertson really has not done her homework. | ||
In fact, Joseph Smith modified his ideas about Book of Mormon geography over the course of his life, indicating that he had no more information on the matter than the other members did. | In fact, Joseph Smith modified his ideas about Book of Mormon geography over the course of his life, indicating that he had no more information on the matter than the other members did. | ||
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* [[Book of Mormon geography:New World|Book of Mormon geography: New World]] | * [[Book of Mormon geography:New World|Book of Mormon geography: New World]] | ||
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! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">If it could be proven absolutely that the American Indians were not descendants of the Lamanites then Joseph Smith perpetrated a gigantic fraud... | ! <h2 style="margin:0;background-color:#cedff2;font-size:120%;font-weight:bold;border:1px solid #a3b0bf;text-align:left;color:#000;padding:0.2em 0.4em;">If it could be proven absolutely that the American Indians were not descendants of the Lamanites then Joseph Smith perpetrated a gigantic fraud.... Such irrefutable evidence has been found using one of our strongest technological discoveries—DNA.</h2> | ||
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As Michael F. Whiting, Ph.D (an LDS genetics scientist at BYU) noted: | As Michael F. Whiting, Ph.D (an LDS genetics scientist at BYU) noted: | ||
:''I...serve as a member of a scientific review panel for the Systematic Biology program of the National Science Foundation. The NSF is a major source of basic research funding available to scientists in the United States, and every six months the NSF brings in a panel of researchers to review grant applications and provide recommendations for funding...Would a proposal to test the validity of the Book of Mormon by means of DNA sequence information have a sufficiently solid base in science to ever be competitive in receiving funding from a nationally peer-reviewed scientific funding agency such as the NSF?...Is testing the Book of Mormon by means of genetic information a fundable research project? I do not think so... | :''I...serve as a member of a scientific review panel for the Systematic Biology program of the National Science Foundation. The NSF is a major source of basic research funding available to scientists in the United States, and every six months the NSF brings in a panel of researchers to review grant applications and provide recommendations for funding.... Would a proposal to test the validity of the Book of Mormon by means of DNA sequence information have a sufficiently solid base in science to ever be competitive in receiving funding from a nationally peer-reviewed scientific funding agency such as the NSF?.... Is testing the Book of Mormon by means of genetic information a fundable research project? I do not think so.... It is very unclear what would constitute sufficient evidence to reject the hypothesis that the Lamanite lineages were derived from Middle Eastern lineages, since there are so many assumptions that must be met and so many complications that we are not yet capable of sifting through.'' [From Whiting's paper below.] | ||
The critics are the only ones claiming that DNA can do things that it can't. Members of the Church do not make the same error. | The critics are the only ones claiming that DNA can do things that it can't. Members of the Church do not make the same error. | ||
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The critics are often hypocritical—they claim the Saints should abandon the Book of Mormon on flimsy, dubious science, and yet do not tell their audience that ''they'' should (by the same logic) abandon religious beliefs of their own that have much ''more'' DNA evidence against them. | The critics are often hypocritical—they claim the Saints should abandon the Book of Mormon on flimsy, dubious science, and yet do not tell their audience that ''they'' should (by the same logic) abandon religious beliefs of their own that have much ''more'' DNA evidence against them. | ||
For example, the producers of this DVD enlist the assistance of Dr. John Whitcomb, a founder of modern creationism, a staunch advocate of a young earth, and an | For example, the producers of this DVD enlist the assistance of Dr. John Whitcomb, a founder of modern creationism, a staunch advocate of a young earth, and an opponent of evolution. Ironically, the very DNA science that this video claims to refute the Book of Mormon, would more easily refute many of the beliefs held by Dr. Whitcomb (see [[Search for the Truth DVD:Credits|here]]). | ||
Does video expect Dr. Whitcomb to abandon his beliefs that DNA science has "disproven"? | Does video expect Dr. Whitcomb to abandon his beliefs that DNA science has "disproven"? Why not? | ||
'''To read more:''' | '''To read more:''' |
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