Dna experts, and christians attack the bible as well as the book of mormon. Weighing dna evidence about the book of mormon by common. The church says the studies are being twisted to attack its beliefs. Dna analysis has concluded that native american indians do not originate from the middle east or from israelites but rather from asia. The traditional lds position the book of mormon recounts the story of small israelite groups headed by lehi and mulek that were brought from ancient jerusalem to the american continent by the hand of the lord. For these same reasons, arguments that some defenders of the book of mormon make based on dna studies are also speculative. New venue for the 2020 fairmormon conference, august 57. For years many have questioned this, as none of the historical or geographical details in the book of mormon can be verified and there are many inaccuracies despite over 3,000 changes made since the original divinely inspired version of 1830. However, a closer examination demonstrates that modern dna evidence in no way disproves the traditional lds belief that book of mormon peoples represent the principal ancestors of the american indians.
Two of the most prevalent claims for the book of mormon are, there is much archaeological proof to the book of mormon, and the american indians are descendants of israelites who came to america as described in the book of mormon. Five compelling archeological evidences for the book of mormon. Simon southerton submitted to us as to why he left mormonism due to dna evidence is at whyleft125. 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. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of mormon by rich deem introduction. Nonmormon archaeologists speak on book of mormon evidence. Oct 21, 2017 fake science skeptics frequently appeal to science in their arguments, including this claim that modern science disproves the book of mormon claim of hebrew origins for native americans. Mormons and mitochondrial dna by chad ressler in august 2004 simon southerton released a book entitled losing a lost tribe. Applying the same reasoning that critics use to conclude that dna disproves the book of mormon in mesoamerica, you would also conclude that haplogroup x did not cross the bering land bridge. 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. In fact, several mormon organizations have been founded in order to prove these very presuppositions.
In the book of mormon there are three meanings of the word jew including resident of jerusalem. By mark nolte dna evidence suggesting the book of mormon is false is not concrete, says a byu scientist. The book of mormon documentary examines and compares genetic evidence identifying the dna fingerprints of the jewish populations and american indian populations, and presents the testimony of several dna experts in seeking to answer the question, are israelites the principal ancestors of native american indians. The book of mormon teaches that these israelites are the principal ancestors of modernday native americans. Feb 02, 2012 the book of mormon teaches that these israelites are the principal ancestors of modernday native americans. New light on dna and the book of mormon the millennial star.
A recently published book claims that dna evidence proves the book of mormon, one of the books of scripture used by the mormon church, incorrect. Ironically, some of these christian people also believe in a literal creation of life on earth according to genesis, something that i personally think is an allegorical story, not literal. In 2002, anthropologist thomas murphy published an essay in which he argued that dna evidence points to native americans being related to asians, and therefore this disproves the book of mormon. Many members of the latter day saint movement claim historical authenticity of the book of mormon. Does dna evidence prove the book of mormon to be false. Nelsonseawright over the last decade or so, there has been a voluminous, and often tiresome, debate about whether recent dna evidence regarding the origins of native americans disproves the book of mormon. The book of mormon tells the story of a family from ancient jerusalem that crossed the ocean and colonized somewhere in the western. The traditional latterday saint position the book of mormon recounts the story of a small israelite group led by lehi and also one headed by mulek from ancient jerusalem to the american continent in approximately 600 bc.
The book of mormon describes a small group of hebrews that traveled to. In summary, dna evidence and the book of mormon is long overdue. What are the major challenges to book of mormon historicity. Fake science skeptics frequently appeal to science in their arguments, including this claim that modern science disproves the book of mormon claim of hebrew origins for native americans. Scientists found two haplogroups in american indian dna that are shared with middle eastern populations. Mormonism disproved by new dna evidence oxford bible church. 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. Dna evidence does not disprove the historical claims of the book of mormon. Nelsonseawright over the last decade or so, there has been a voluminous, and often tiresome, debate about whether recent dna evidence regarding the origins of. Michael whiting, assistant professor of integrative biology, said wednesday in the hbll. Now the same dna evidence used in courts of law can credibly speak to the validity of the book of mormon, which serves as the foundation of the mormon religion. How a mormon lawyer transformed archaeology in mexicoand. Now the same dna evidence used in courts of law can credibly speak to the validity of the book of mormon, the virtual foundation of the lds religion.
They stated that the book of mormon claims that new world people descend from the so called lost tribe of israel. Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence that proves the book of mormon. If you follow mormon related news, you may have encountered the publicity about a mormon bishop who left the church because of dna evidence, or the story of a mormon scientist who has publicly taught that dna evidence disproves the book of mormon. Misunderstanding of both dnarelated science and the nature of the book of mormon led to premature rejoicing in some circles over the alleged refutation of that key scriptural text for latterday saints, as previously discussed here and on my ldsfaq essay on dna and the book of mormon. Book of mormon and dna studies church of jesus christ.
But right off the bat ive got a problem as i read the introductory summary. Archaeology itself can be divided and subdivided into numerous disciplines. Dna evidence of the book of mormon in north america, linking native americans to the jewish population in the middle east. Some evangelical critics have latched onto the claims of dissident and exmormon scholars that modern dna evidence disproves book of mormon historicity in their effort to discredit the lds faith. The typical dnabased argument against the book of mormon runs like this. Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence general. Ldsmormon researchers such as anthropologist thomas w. Weighing dna evidence about the book of mormon may, 2009 by j. May 11, 2009 a recently published book claims that dna evidence proves the book of mormon, one of the books of scripture used by the mormon church, incorrect. Dna and the book of mormon, by cooper johnson does dna evidence refute the book of mormon. Evidence for nephis bountiful, journal of book of mormon studies, 71 1998.
They conclude, dna doesnt prove or disprove the book of mormon. Dna and the book of mormon by 99 dna and the book of mormon david g. When we examine the implications of their claims and apply the same standards. Is there any dna evidence to support the book of mormon. Coming at the scientific community like a ton of bricks, it has been revealed that native americans are not of exclusively eastern asian heritage. The church of jesus christ of latter day saints teaches that all the native american tribes are descended from a jewish family who came to these uninhabited continents in the sixth century before christ. Dna evidence does not support the testimony of the lds church mormon doctrine. 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.
Likewise, many learned defenders of the mormon faith, including byu professors, and the lds church leaders themselves have attempted to reconcile this new dna evidence into their faith. Over at the salt lake tribune resident writer peggy fletcher stack has written a helpful piece summarising a larger piece on the official mormon web site addressing the question of dna and the book of mormon. Three geneticists respond to the lds essay on dna and the book of mormon, and to apologist michael ash. In 2004, plant biologist simon southerton published a book that made a similar argument.
Are israelites the principal ancestors of native americans. The conclusion states, much as critics and defenders of the book of mormon would like to use dna studies to support their views, the evidence is simply inconclusive. The religious bias and serious misunderstanding shown in some coverage of that story is also illustrated in recent media coverage on the allegedly embarrassing discovery in dna data that the ancient canaanites were. This view finds no acceptance outside of mormonism.
He claimed the native americans were descendants of the book of mormon. In this post i wanted to emphasize physical evidencesstuff you can touch, see, feel. Feb, 2009 there are no dna sequences common to all jews and absent from all nonjews. There is no native american haplogroup x dna found in siberia, east asia, or the west coast of america, and it is completely absent in central and south. Byu professor refutes book of mormon dna claims the. One such group is the foundation for ancient research and mormon studies, better known as f. Their narrative is that dna evidence disqualifies the book of mormon and presents a more sound model of truth. Truth shall spring forth out of the earth, journal of book of mormon studies, vol. Nov 26, 2007 it is also very exact when used to determine paternity. Most, but not all, mormons hold the books connection to ancient american history as an article of their faith. Perhaps it disproves what joseph smith said about it. Thomas murphy, anthropologist, mormon scholar, and dna researcher, acknowledges the problem that the dna evidence presents for the historical accuracy of the book of mormon. Rather, he calls us to prove all things 1 thessalonians 5. Some have contended that the migrations mentioned in the.
The lds church released an essay on their website titled book of. Related topics including the book of mormon and dna. Nothing is known about the extent of intermarriage and genetic mixing between book of mormon peoples or their descendants and other inhabitants of the americas, though some mixing appears evident, even during the period covered by the books text. 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. These haplogroups are found throughout north america, the middle east, and europe, and are proof for a genetic relationship. Produced by fair, a nonprofit organization that sponsors conferences and websites in defence of the church, this video dispells what for some is a. John dehlin september 16, 2015 apologetics, book of mormon, top 10 truth claims, top 100, top 5 response to essays 377 comments. Ces letter links to a poorly written wikipedia article as the basis of their sweeping claim. Recent research has been conducted on native american dna, studies potentially related to the book of mormon that may lend support to its claims.
May, 2009 weighing dna evidence about the book of mormon may, 2009 by j. Book of mormon dna evidence is the holy grail for mormons and antimormons alike. Lost civilizations of north america documentary4, deborah bolnick on haplogroup x. The book of mormon recounts the story of small israelite groups led by lehi and mulek who were brought by the hand of the lord from ancient jerusalem to the american continent approximately 600 bc. As the national geographic states, native american genes come from west eurasian people linked to the middle east and europe, rather than entirely from east asians as previously thought. 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. The book of mormon makes several scientific claims that can be tested. 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. The book of mormon itself does not make that claim. Dna evidence disproves key mormon doctrine youtube.
Oct 01, 2019 one of the first assumptions made by critics who believed that dna disproves the book of mormon is that it is the belief of the church that all native american populations, anywhere in north or south america, were descended from the lamanites who were the remaining population after the final battles of extermination described in the book of mormon. To date, genetic studies indicate that native americans are most closely related to east asians,4 while no clear genetic relationship with the. 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. Rediscovering the bom remnant through dna book of mormon. Dna evidence and molecular genetics disprove the book of. I wrote this post back in 2009 and thought it would be timely to repost it here today. Dna data is only a problem for the book of mormon is one. Members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints need to realize that god does not seek to confuse us and lead us away from him through the use of our intellect. Murphy and formerlds plant geneticist simon southerton state that the substantial collection of native american genetic markers now available are not consistent with any detectable presence of ancestors from the ancient middle east, and argued that this poses substantial evidence to.
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. The lds church released an essay on their website titled book of mormon and dna studies. Dna evidence proves book of mormon claims about ancient. Dna vs book of mormon incredible new evidence youtube. The book of mormon presents the evidence from dna researchers. Supporting evidences of the book of mormon are broadly identifiable. One of most basic tenets of the lds faith maintains that the book of mormon is a literal history of the ancestors of. Dna cant disprove the book of mormon because dna cant identify jews and we dont have enough information about the origins of the book of mormon people and their intermixing with other groups. Mormons claim that the native americans were actually decended from hebrews who apparently came from the middle east thousands of years ago. Nothing is known about the dna of book of mormon peoples, and even if their genetic profile were known, there are sound scientific reasons that it might remain undetected. Some mormon researchers claim that it is not valid to use genetics to attempt to prove or disprove the historicity of the book of mormon, citing a lack of source genes and the improbability of tracing israelite dna even if present. The book of mormon teaches that all native americans are descended exclusively from hebrews. Does dna disprove the book of mormon claim of native american.
Jan 07, 2018 dna data is only a problem for the book of mormon is one makes unjustified and extreme assumptions about what the text requires. Modern dna evidence in no way disproves the traditional lds belief that book of mormon peoples represent the principal ancestors of the american indians. Dna and dating arguments do not present an exclusive challenge to lds teachings, although critics would like to paint them as such. The research herein refutes the claim that dna analysis proves the book of mormon false, on the contrary it explores genetic dna evidence that may actually support the claims of the book of mormon. Does dna disprove the book of mormon claim of native.
Antimormons would have you believe that the dna evidence that disproves the book of mormon is just as certain. The book of mormon and the new world dna deseret book. Prophets who taught of christ were called from among this people for over a millennium, but eventually the people fell. 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. This dvd delivers on its promise, and provided empirical evidence to those who will listen. The volume has long invited scrutiny from all branches of science. New light on dna and the book of mormon posted on january 7, 2015 by jettboy coming at the scientific community like a ton of bricks, it has been revealed that native americans are not of exclusively eastern asian heritage. Dna studies of native americans show that their ancient ancestry is exclusively asian, with no trace of jewish ancestry. The discussion has centered on the field of population genetics and developments in dna science. Rediscovering the book of mormon remnant through dna. Centuries later, according to the scripture, jesus appeared to the nephites in the same region after his resurrection.
Nov 14, 20 dna and the book of mormon by 99 dna and the book of mormon david g. Another testament of jesus christ, is true, not false. Dna and the book of mormon book of mormon archaeological. Its not all neat and orderly, as previous generations of latterday saints assumed, or as we would like. Is there any dna evidence to support the book of mormons. The book of mormon claims that the native american peoples are descended from the house of israel, but the dna evidence, according to this book, points to an asiatic origin for the american continents native people. One of the first assumptions made by critics who believed that dna disproves the book of mormon is that it is the belief of the church that all native american populations, anywhere in north or south america, were descended from the lamanites who were the remaining population after the final battles of extermination described in the book of mormon. Evangelical and protestant groups that have latched onto bogus claims of dissident and exmormon scholars that modern dna evidence disproves book of mormon historicity in their effort to combat the mormon threat at any cost. It is also very exact when used to determine paternity. Does dna evidence prove the book of mormon is false. I couldnt possibly cover every book of mormon correlation in one sitting. New discoveries in dna research currently allow scientists to test this historical claim.
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