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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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|xiv||The Israelites are said to have arrived in a land kept from the knowledge of other nations | |xiv||The Israelites are said to have arrived in a land kept from the knowledge of other nations | ||
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|xiv||There is no mention of any non-Israelite people in the New World | |xiv||There is no mention of any non-Israelite people in the New World.||[[Amerindians as Lamanites ]] | ||
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|xiv||The Book of Mormon describes the farming of Old World domesticated plants and animals | |xiv||The Book of Mormon describes the farming of Old World domesticated plants and animals.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms:Animals]] | ||
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|xiv||The Book of Mormon mentions horse, oxen, cattle and goats in the New World | |xiv||The Book of Mormon mentions horse, oxen, cattle and goats in the New World.||[[Book of Mormon anachronisms:Animals]] | ||
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|xv||Little has been discovered to support the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon | |xv||Little has been discovered to support the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon.||[[Book of Mormon archaeology]] | ||
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|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||The Mesoamerican cultures worshipped multiple gods and performed human sacrifice, which is not consistent with the culture of the Book of Mormon people | ||
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|xv||Many LDS scholars criticise mainstream scientific views in their defense of the Book of Mormon | |xv||Many LDS scholars criticise mainstream scientific views in their defense of the Book of Mormon. | ||
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|xv||The Church employs academics to professionally defend the Book of Mormon | |xv||The Church employs academics to professionally defend the Book of Mormon. | ||
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|xv||The weight of evidence has forced LDS scholars to scale back the scope of the Book of Mormon | |xv||The weight of evidence has forced LDS scholars to scale back the scope of the Book of Mormon. | ||
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|xvi||LDS leaders ignore LDS scholarship and continue to teach that Native Americans and Polynesians are literal descendants of the Israelites | |xvi||LDS leaders ignore LDS scholarship and continue to teach that Native Americans and Polynesians are literal descendants of the Israelites. | ||
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Revision as of 13:50, 21 May 2008
Back to Main Article: Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church
Index to claims made in 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 FAIRwiki.
Introduction
| Page | Claim | Response |
|---|---|---|
| xiii | The Book of Mormon talks primarily of a small group of Jews who sailed from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. | |
| xiii | Mormons believe that the dark skinned race constitutes the principal ancestors of the American Indians | Are the Lamanites the principal ancestors of the American Indians? |
| xiv | Joseph Smith claimed that the Book of Mormon was the most correct book on earth. | Book of Mormon as the most correct book |
| xiv | The Israelites are said to have arrived in a land kept from the knowledge of other nations | |
| xiv | There is no mention of any non-Israelite people in the New World. | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| xiv | The Book of Mormon describes the farming of Old World domesticated plants and animals. | Book of Mormon anachronisms:Animals |
| xiv | The Book of Mormon mentions horse, oxen, cattle and goats in the New World. | Book of Mormon anachronisms:Animals |
| xv | Little has been discovered to support the civilizations described in the Book of Mormon. | Book of Mormon archaeology |
| 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. | |
| xv | The weight of evidence has forced LDS scholars to scale back the scope of the Book of Mormon. | |
| xvi | LDS leaders ignore LDS scholarship and continue to teach that Native Americans and Polynesians are literal descendants of the Israelites. |
Chapter 10: The Lord's University
| Page | Claim | Response |
|---|---|---|
| 135 | Mormons believe that if there is a conflict between science and religion, that the science is incorrect | |
| 135-136 | Mormonism reserves the right to identify scientific truth | |
| 136 | Mormonism declares that it "corners the market" on religious truth | |
| 136 | Joseph Smith declared that all other religions were false. | "Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?" |
| 136 | LDS think that all other religions are the "whore of the earth" and "church of the devil" | Whore of the earth |
| 136 | The current generation of Mormons is taught a selective view of Church history | Censorship and revision of LDS history |
| 137 | Many church members are "blissfully unaware" of Brigham Young's practice of polygamy | Brigham Young and polygamy |
| 137 | Senior church leaders prefer that members not question changes in temple ordinances. | Temple endowment changes |
| 138 | Ecclesiastical leader expect "unquestioning obedience" of church members | |
| 139 | The Church "unofficially" discourages prayer to "Mother in Heaven" | Heavenly Mother |
| 140 | Church leaders are "loath" to make unequivocal statement of doctrine | |
| 140 | BYU's emphasis is on conformity rather than personal freedom | |
| 141 | CES insists that gospel learning takes precedence over secular learning | |
| 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:LGT |
| 142 | Spencer W. Kimball believed in a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography | Amerindians as Lamanites#Talking past each other? |
| 142 | Church members are shocked at the "limited archaeological evidence" for the Book of Mormon | Book of Mormon archeology |
| 143 | LDS apologists continue to tell members how "scientists continue to get it wrong." | |
| 143 | Most members follow their leaders without question | |
| 143 | LDS theology supports a literal interpretation of the creation of man | |
| 143 | LDS theology supports a literal interpretation of the tower of Babel | |
| 143 | LDS theology supports a literal interpretation of the Flood | Global or local Flood |
| 143 | The perception is that the Church has officially denounced evolution | Evolution |
| 146 | The Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri | Garden of Eden in Missouri? |
| 146 | Mormons believe that the continents separated only after a global flood | |
| 146 | Mormons are "compelled" to believe in a global flood as symbolizing the "baptism of the earth" | Global or local Flood |
| 148 | FARMS reviews of books by General Authorities or FARMS staff are always given favorable reviews | |
| 148 | FARMS' goal is to deter members from reading any book that challenges their faith | Does the Church discourage reading critical material? |
Chapter 11: Plausible Geography
| Page | Claim | Response |
|---|---|---|
| 153 | B.H. Roberts' manuscripts "Book of Mormon Difficulties" and "A Book of Mormon Study" were "clearly intended for publication." | |
| 153 | Roberts' concluded that a 19th-century origin for the Book of Mormon was "entirely plausible" | Book of Mormon and View of the Hebrews |
| 154 | LDS scholars have made a "steady retraction" of claims regarding the scale of the Nephite/Lamanite presence since the 1920's | |
| 156 | All Church presidents and General Authorities have believed in a hemispheric Book of Mormon geography | Book of Mormon geography:Statements |
| 156 | The Book of Mormon states that the Lamanites are "the principal ancestors of the American Indians" | Are the Lamanites the principal ancestors of the American Indians? |
| 156 | A hemispheric geography most closely aligns with an "uncontrived" reading of the Book of Mormon | |
| 159 | Moroni makes no mention of traveling from Central America to New York in the Book of Mormon | |
| 160 | There is no indication that the Book of Mormon people came in contact with others in the land | |
| 163 | The shrinking of Book of Mormon geographical models corresponds with the growing research showing that ancient Americans came from Asia | |
| 164 | A limited Book of Mormon setting is at odds with "a straightforward reading" of the Book of Mormon | |
| 164 | The limited Book of Mormon setting contradicts D&C 54:8 |
Chapter 12: Faith Promoting Science
| Page | Claim | Response |
|---|---|---|
| 168 | LDS scholars believe that Mayan cities are prime candidates for where Lehi's people lived | |
| 168 | The Jaredites are usually identified as the Olmec | |
| 168 | The history of Book of Mormon archaeology is "littered with apostacy" | |
| 170 | Thomas Ferguson was one of the better known early "Mormon archaeologists" | |
| 172 | There is no evidence of iron or steel smelting in the ancient New World | Book of Mormon anachronisms:Metals#Iron |
| 172 | There were no wheeled vehicles in ancient America | |
| 172 | There were no draft animals to pull wheeled vehicles | Book of Mormon anachronisms:Animals#Horse |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 173 | Dee Green said in 1973 that Book of Mormon archaeology does not exist | |
| 175 | "Book of Mormon archaeology" has yielded little credible evidence | Book of Mormon archaeology |
| 176 | The Smithsonian issues a statement that discredits the Book of Mormon | Smithsonian statement on Book of Mormon archaeology |
| 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 |
| 177 | There is little evidence of a cultural link between Polynesia and the Americas. The presence of a South American variety of sweet potato in Polynesia is not yet explained. |
Chapter 13: LDS Molecular Apologetics
| Page | Claim | Response |
|---|---|---|
| 180 | Most Mormons have had their ancestors posthumously "baptized into the Mormon faith." | Baptism for the dead |
| 181 | FARMS has downplayed the potential of James Sorenson's "global molecular geneaology project." | |
| 181 | The Molecular Genealogy Foundation may reveal disconcerting "surprises" in LDS family trees that trace back to "well known polygamists" in the early church | |
| 184 | The Indian Student Placement Program was an attempt to turn them "white and delightsome." | |
| 184 | "Mormon folklore" claims that Native Americans and Polynesians carry a curse based upon "misdeeds on the part of their ancestors." | |
| 185 | LDS scholars experienced in DNA research have spoken only to Mormon audiences. | |
| 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." | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 187 | LDS suggest that it would impossible to use DNA technology to identify a small local colony of individuals. | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| 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 |
| 188 | The Lehite/Mulekite groups were both descended from Jewish ancestors | Book of Mormon and DNA evidence#General genetics issues |
| 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 | Lemba and Cohen modal haplotype |
| 190 | Church leaders have consistently associated Lamanites with Central America | |
| 191 | The Mayan Empire is considered by Mormons to the closest to the people of the Book of Mormon | |
| 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 | |
| 192 | The X lineage occurs in North America and is not found in Central America | |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 193 | A great number of Native Americans are now assumed to have been absorbed into New World Israelite civilizations. | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| 193 | "Other people" in the Book of Mormon have "remained invisible" to most readers. | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| 194 | "Gentiles who inhabited the Americas before, during and after the Book of Mormon period are potential Lamanites." | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| 195 | The children of Lehi were to be "kept from all other nations, the they may possess this land unto themselves." | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| 195 | There are no explicit references to non-Israelites living near the Lehites or Jaredites. | Amerindians as Lamanites |
| 195 | Five hundred years after their arrival, groups were still identified as having descended from Laman, Lemuel, Ishmael, etc. | |
| 196 | Familial terms used in the Book of Mormon imply a genetic link. | |
| 197 | Joseph Smith and other leaders taught that the Book of Mormon described the origins of the Indians in the western hemisphere. | |
| 197 | Mormons "tend to be hazy" regarding what past Church leaders have said regarding geography. | Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography |
Chapter 14: Moving the Spirit
| Page | Claim | Response |
|---|---|---|
| 199 | No Semitic languages have been found in the New World | Hebrew and Native American languages |
| 199 | No wheeled chariots or horses to pull them have been found in the New World | Horses in the Book of Mormon |
| 199 | No swords or steel have been found in the New World | Steel in the Book of Mormon |
| 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 |
| 200 | Many LDS are disquieted by "how far the Book of Mormon is from reality" | Book of Mormon historicity |
| 200 | Many LDS are disquieted by "how far the apologists have strayed from traditional Mormon beliefs" | Apologetics |
| 201 | A supposition that the Church has a history of ancient America may some day be de-emphasized | Book of Mormon historicity |
| 202 | A limited Book of Mormon setting has "not been granted the church's official blessing in any way" | Statements by Church leaders regarding Book of Mormon geography |
| 202 | The general membership would not believe a limited Book of Mormon geography | Book of Mormon limited geography theory |
| 202 | Millions of Mormons believe that Lehi stands at the head of their own family pedigrees | |
| 202 | The work of LDS apologists is not discussed in any public forum sponsored by the Church | |
| 202-203 | The genetic support for an Israelite presence in the New World is "slim to none" | Book of Mormon and DNA evidence |
| 203 | Apologists are unable to find an Israelite genetic signature in the islands of the Pacific | Book of Mormon and DNA evidence |
| 203 | Apologists are unable to find an Israelite genetic signature in Central America | Book of Mormon and DNA evidence |
| 203 | Apologists have chosen to reinterpret the statements of modern prophets regarding Book of Mormon geography | Book of Mormon limited geography theory |
| 203 | Most Mormons believe that Adam and Eve were placed on the Earth 6000 years ago | |
| 203 | Most Mormons believe that the Earth was re-colonized after the Flood | Global or local Flood |
| 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 |
| 203 | BYU professors have been "compelled to shrink the scale of the assumed Israelite incursion into the Americas" | Book of Mormon limited geography theory |
| 204 | In 1938 Joseph Fielding Smith opposed a limited geography for the Book of Mormon | |
| 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 |
| 204 | The Book of Mormon depicts the settlement of an area of the world that was previously unpopulated | |
| 205 | General Authorities tell members in certain areas of the world that they are the offspring of Lehi | |
| 205 | The Church disregards people's own cultural history and local mythologies | |
| 205 | The Church does not officially endorse apologetic scholarship | Apologetics |
| 205 | The Church officially tells members not to attempt to link the Book of Mormon to any geographical location | Is there an "official" or revealed geography? |
| 206 | There is no evidence of a Hebrew influence in Mesoamerica | |
| 206 | LDS apologists believe that the "miniscule Lehite colony" had no lasting impact on the Americas | |
| 206 | LDS apologists are cut off from the larger church community because of differences in their beliefs | |
| 206 | Millions of members feel a "familial bond" with Lehi that played a central role in their conversion to the church | |
| 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 |
| 207 | The Church takes a "dim view" of scientists and intellectuals |