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.
Objects and artifacts in the Book of Mormon
Items alleged to be anachronistic in the Book of Mormon
Jump to Subtopic:
- Chariots in the Book of Mormon
- Cimeters or Scimeters in the Book of Mormon
- Money and the Book of Mormon
- The Book of Mormon mentions the word "compass"
- The Book of Mormon and "gold" plates
Chariots in the Book of Mormon
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: In what context are chariots mentioned in the Book of Mormon?
- Gardner: "a correct approach to a Mesoamerican battle required all three elements: king, litter, and battle beast"
- Rappleye: In Maya art from the Classic period (ca. AD 300–900), at least, an animal (often a dog) is frequently depicted as traveling near the litter as part of the entourage, thus indicating that both animal and royal litter would need to be made ready for a royal visit.
Cimeters or Scimeters in the Book of Mormon
Jump to Subtopic:
- Hoskisson: "the mistaken assumption that scimitars did not exist in the pre-Islamic Old World"
- Egyptian Scimiter from Tell El-Dab'a in the Eastern Nile Delta (circa before 1500 BC)
- Roper: "a strange double-curved weapon held in the left hand of the warrior figure on the Loltún cave relief might be considered a scimitar/cimeter"
- Book of Mormon Central: Why Does the Book of Mormon Mention Cimiters?
Money and the Book of Mormon
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Does the Book of Mormon refer to "coins"?
- John Welch (1999): "This sidelight in the book of Alma contains enough facts to support meaningful parallels between King Mosiah's weights and measures and those used in other ancient cultures"
The Book of Mormon mentions the word "compass"
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Was the Liahona simply a magnetic compass that was out of place in 600 B.C.?
- Robert L. Bunker, "The Design of the Liahona and the Purpose of the Second Spindle"
The Book of Mormon and "gold" plates
Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: What are the criticisms related to the "gold plates" of the Book of Mormon?
- Question: How much did the gold plates weigh?
- Question: What did Joseph Smith say about efforts that were made to steal the gold plates from him?
- Lucy Mack Smith: "They stood in the yard near the door, and were devising plans to find "Joe Smith's gold bible," as they expressed themselves"
- Question: Is it inconceivable that anybody could run carrying a 50 lb. set of metal plates, jumping over logs and such and be able to outrun three men?
- Question: What descriptions exist of the "gold" plates' hiding place?
- Question: Of what material were the Book of Mormon "gold" plates constructed?
- Question: Could Joseph Smith have manufactured some metal plates out of tin, copper, or some other metal in order to trick witnesses into thinking he had gold plates?
- Question: How could the plate text actually fit on the plates of the Book of Mormon?
Gunpowder
Summary: Some have even claimed that the Book of Mormon mentions "gunpowder," and "pistols and other firearms," which are clearly anachronisms. The claim is false. There is no mention of "gunpowder" or firearms, or anything like them, in the Book of Mormon.Jump to Subtopic:
Temple in the New World
Summary: It is claimed that Israelites would not have built a temple in the New World outside of Jerusalem. This ignores Israelite temples built in the Old World outside Jerusalem.Jump to Subtopic:
- Question: Were there not enough people available in Nephi's time to build a temple "after the manner of the temple of Solomon"?
- Question: Was Nephi's temple "similar in splendor" to Solomon's temple?
- Question: Was the temple in Jerusalem the sole legitimate site of worship?
- Question: How could Lehi, a non-Levite, perform sacrifices?
- Question: Would Israelites not have constructed a temple outside of Jerusalem?