View source for Question: What archaeological evidence might be considered the minimal irrefutable proof needed to convince a non-believing world of the authenticity of the Nephite scripture?

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==Question: What archaeological evidence might be considered the minimal irrefutable proof needed to convince a non-believing world of the authenticity of the Nephite scripture?==
===For critics, every time something is found that correlates with the Book of Mormon, it is considered a "lucky guess" and dismissed===

A reasonable question for those suggesting that there is no archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon would be “What archaeological evidence might be considered the minimal irrefutable proof needed to convince a non-believing world of the authenticity of the Nephite scripture?”

Some people might suggest that finding the existence of horses or chariots would constitute proof for the Book of Mormon. This is doubtful. Finding such items would merely demonstrate that such things existed in the ancient New World, and while such discoveries may be consistent with the Book of Mormon, they hardly amount to “proof.”

As an example, the Book of Mormon mentions barley which, until recently, was thought not to exist in the ancient Americas. Critics considered barley to be one of the things that “Joseph Smith got wrong.” However, pre-Columbian New World barley has now been verified, without people flocking to join the Church because of this discovery. For critics, finding such items are too often seen as “lucky guesses” on the part of Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon mentions cities, trade, warfare, towers, and the use of armor—all of which did exist in the ancient Americas—yet their existence has not convinced critics that the Book of Mormon is an authentic ancient text.
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[[Category:Letter to a CES Director]]
[[Category:MormonThink]]

[[es:Pregunta: ¿Qué evidencia arqueológica podría considerarse la prueba irrefutable mínima necesaria para convencer a un mundo no creyente de la autenticidad de la escritura nefita?]]
[[pt:Pergunta: Que evidência arqueológica pode ser considerada a prova irrefutável mínimo necessário para convencer um mundo não-crente da autenticidade da escritura nefita?]]
[[Category:Questions]]