Criticism of the Latter Day Saint movement: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{main|Archaeology and the Book of Mormon}}

Critics claim that the Book of Mormon is incompatible with archaeology. The Book of Mormon states that there were pre-Columbian peoples that were white, literate, had knowledge of Old World languages, and possessed Old World derived writing systems. (E.g. [[1 Nephi]] {{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=1 Nephi|chapter=13|verse=23|nobook=}} et. seq.) They smelted [[metal]] and made [[tool]]s and [[weapon]]s of [[iron]], [[steel]], and [[brass]]. (E.g. [[The Book of Ether|Ether]] {{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=Ether|chapter=7|verse=9|nobook=}}, {{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=Ether|chapter=10|verse=23|nobook=}}) They owned domesticated [[horse]]s and [[cattle]]. They possessed [[chariot]]s. (E.g. [[Book of Alma|Alma]] {{sourcetext|source=Book of Mormon|book=Alma|chapter=18|verse=9|range=-12|nobook=}}) The people covered the "entire land." Critics of the Book of Mormon claim that the civilization described by these passages and scores of others in the ''Book of Mormon'' should yield certain types of discoveries in the pre-Columbian archaeological record. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} A documentary entitled ''The Bible vs. The Book of Mormon'' [http://www.lhvm.org/bible.htm] produced by [[Living Hope Ministries]], an evangelical group with a stated mission to "share biblical truths with Mormons,"<ref>http://www.lhvm.org/ministry.htm. "Living Hope Ministries". Accessed 8 June 2007.</ref> outlines many of these challenges.

===Language===
The Book of Mormon, American inhabitants were to have written on these plates in, Reformed Egyptian. However, no study of linguistics outside the LDS knows anything about this Reformed Egyptian. There has also never been found any of this Reformed Egyptian on the North American continent; except what Smith claimed to have found.

However, Mormon apologists claim that such discoveries have been made.<ref>S. Kent Brown, “New Light: ‘The Place That Was Called Nahom’: New Light from Ancient Yemen,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies v 8:1 (Provo, FARMS, 1999), 66-68.</ref><ref>Warren P. Aston, "New Found Altars from Nahom," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10, no. 2 (2001): 56-61; also available online at http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=jbms&id=255</ref><ref>"Cement in the Book of Mormon," (Provo, Utah: FARMS); also available online at http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=transcripts&id=128</ref> <ref>George D. Potter, "A New Candidate in Arabia for the Valley of Lemuel," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Vol. 8, No. 1, 1999, pp. 54-63.</ref>

===Genetics===