Supporting Evidences of the
Book of Mormon
There are many startling things in the Book of
Mormon that the 21 year old prophet Joseph, with only a very basic backwoods
schooling, could not possibly have known about when he published the book in
the year 1830. Many of it’s verses contain seeming unimportant, obscure or
curious material, which on examination are found to provide remarkable and
fascinating “supporting evidences” for the book.
“In trespassing on scientific grounds, or rather in
timidly peeping over the fence, we are only seeking enlightenment. We have
heard so often that science has disproved, nay disembowelled the Book of
Mormon, that we are naturally curious to have a look at some of the more
spectacular havoc. But where is it? We have tiptoed into the archaeology museum
and there found nothing that could not be interpreted many ways. We have
entered the house of the anthropologists, and there found all in confusion--and
the confusion is growing. We have consulted with the more exact or authentic
scientists and found them surprisingly hesitant to commit themselves on the
Book of Mormon.” [Nibley]
In the 1830’s, Joseph Smith was particularly derided
for claiming that book was engraved upon metal plates. However, many engraved
ancient metal plates have been found since 1830 and these are now on display in
museums all over the world.
Many ancient Egyptian documents containing an
introductory paragraph called a “coliphon” are now common. Typically a coliphon
states “I am John the son of William. I wrote this with my own hand. I am an
eye witness to the events that I now write of.” Nephi gives a perfect example
in 1 Ne 1:3.
The Egyptian writing systems current at the time
Lehi left Jerusalem were hieratic and demotic, which were reformed versions of
the earlier Egyptian picture characters. Ancient texts have been discovered
that have a combination of Hebrew and Egyptian hieratic characters. For example
a scroll of Psalms 20:2-6 found in Thebes was inscribed in Egyptian but the
translation did not make sense until it was discovered in 1944 that the words
that the resulting letters spelt were Aramaic. It was concluded that the scribe
that wrote the text knew both Hebrew and Egyptian writing systems and
co-mingled them into a single text. “And now, behold, we have written this
record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us
the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our
manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have
written in Hebrew” (Mormon 9:32) The use of reformed Egyptian was not known to
the world until about 100 years after Joseph Smith published the Book of
Mormon.
A great many names of people and places in the Book
of Mormon are now known to be authentic Egyptian and Arabic. A small selection
includes Alma, Ammon, Aminadab, Hem, Helaman, Himni, Korihor, Nephi, Manti,
Paanchi, Pacumeni, Pachus, and Sam.
A survey shows that 41.5 % of the definite measurements
of ancient buildings in the Americas can be expressed in whole cubits, halves
or thirds, within an average variation of about a half inch. But when the
Jewish cubit of 21.888 inches is used, 90% of these measurements can be
expressed in multiples of five or ten cubits
The American Indians.
As we all know, the American Indians are supposed to
have come from eastern Asia via the Bering Straits. However, few Indians of
South America and even fewer of North America have even 1 per cent of type B
blood, and most have no type B blood at all, even though this is the most
important and characteristic non-O ingredient of Mongol peoples.
The tradition of “burying the hatchet” possibly
originated among Book of Mormon peoples. Alma 24:19
The daughters of the Lamanites going off to a remote
place for a girls-only dance party is an authentic American Indian tradition.
Mosiah 20:1
Leaving an enemy tied up in the desert to be
devoured by wild beasts 1 Ne 7:16
“My Father dwelt in a tent”. 1 Ne 2:15 A Bedouin
phrase meaning “My father was an honourable man”
The naming of places on a journey after family
members. 1 Ne 2:8 (…place which we called …..) This tended to occur because
groups of travellers in the desert usually avoided each other, for fear that
the other group were robbers. Hence it was common for landmarks and other
desert features to be known to each group of travellers by different names. It
is interesting to observe the distinction 1st Nephi makes between
places “which we called . . . “ and places “which were called . . . “
Likewise, lighting a fire by day or by night in the
desert advertised your presence to undesireables. 1st Nephi notes
that Lehi’s party observerd this precaution.
An artifact with the place name "Nahom" has recently (2001) been found on the Arabian peninsular. When Ishmael died on the journey, he "was buried in the place which WAS called Nahom” (n.b. not “which we called Nahom” 1 Ne 16:34
The
city of Jerusalem is built in the mountains at an altitude of about 2500feet
above sea level. The New Testament frequently talks of going “up to Jerusalem”
or “down from Jerusalem to Jericho”. The Book of Mormon also speaks of
travelling “up” and “down” to and from Jerusalem.
The first important stop after Lehi's party had left their base camp was at a place which they called Shazer (1 Nephi 16:13-14). The term “shajer” is quite common in Palestinian place names; it is a collective term meaning "trees," and many Arabs (especially in Egypt) pronounce it “shazher”..
“The
daughters of Ishmael did mourn exceedingly." Among the desert Arabs,
mourning rites are a monopoly of the women. 1 Ne 16:35
We
now know that the very brief poem uttered by Lehi (1 Ne 2:9-10) is a classic
Arabic "qasida". The proudest boast of the desert poet is, "I
utter a verse and after it its brother," The consummation of the poetic
art was to have two verses perfectly parallel in form and content. To qualify,
a good qasida is
(1) Inspired by the sight of water gushing from
a spring or running down a valley.
(2)
Addressed to one or (usually) two traveling companions.
(3)
Praises the beauty and the excellence of the scene, calling it to the attention
of the hearer as an object lesson.
(4)
The hearer is urged to be like the thing he beholds.
(5)
The poems are recited extempore on the spot and with great feeling.
(6)
They are very short, each couplet being a complete poem in itself.
(7)
One verse must be followed by its "brother," making a perfectly
matched pair.
Lehi’s
poem is a perfect "qasida". However it refers to an immovable valley.
We know all about everlasting hills and immovable mountains, but who ever heard
of a immovable valley? The Arabs, to be sure. For them, the valley and not the
mountain (of sand) is the symbol of permanence. Sand dunes move about over
time. Also, why bother to describe a river as a “river of water”? What other
type of river is there? In the desert there are 2 types of river, a river of
water and a dry river bed or a river of sand. The difference usually depended
on the time of year and to desert travellers could be a matter of life or
death.
Hebrew
Connections
Nepih
hid in a cave near Jersualem. The country south west of Jerusalem is peppered
with caves. But who in America knew of these hiding places at the time Joseph
Smith translated the Book of Mormon?
In some places the English grammar of the book of
Mormon is strained, and shows clear evidence of a “too literal” translation
from Hebrew.
The Book of Mormon (published 1830) contains many
perfect and stunning examples of an ancient Hebrew style of writing called
Chiasmus, which was not identified by scholars until about 1910.
There
are only two places in literature that talk about the need to chop a tree down
after you have hung a criminal on it. One is in the Jewish Talmud and the other
is in 3 Nephi 4:28-33,
Laban
commanding a garrison of fifty seems pitifully small for a great city like
Jerusalem. However unless in actual wartime, this is now known to be realistic.
1 Ne 4:1
The
oaths made by Nephi and Zoram had a miraculous effect. But the one and only way
that Nephi could have pacified the struggling Zoram in an instant was to utter
the one oath that no man would dream of breaking, the most solemn of all oaths
to the Semite: "as the Lord liveth, and as I live" (1 Nephi 4:32).
Labans
sword was a kanjar, the long curved dagger of Damascus steel with its gorgeous
hilt of gold. These ceremonial weapons are often heirlooms of great antiquity
and immense value. At any time from the Amarna period (15th century b.c.) to
the present, Laban would be required by the etiquette of the aristocratic East
to carry just such a weapon as Nephi describes.
Throughout
the history of the Jaredites recorded in the book of Ether, rulers repeatedly
keep rival family leaders in captivity. The earliest records of mankind confirm
that this was an authentic Asiatic practice.
Is
it a coincidence that the journey time of 344 days for the Jaredite barges is
about the same time that it takes the North Pacific current to flow from Japan
to Mexico?
Conclusions
Some people suggest that Joseph Smith just happened
to “get lucky” with some of the above matters. However when all of these things
are taken together, the odds against the “got lucky” explanation are absolutely
staggering. You will find that the Book of Mormon is tough; it thrives on
investigation. You may kick it around like a football, as many have done; and I
promise you it will wear you out long before you ever make a dent in
it.[Nibley]
Perhaps we would do well to ponder on the words of Dr Willard Richards who when he first saw a copy of the Book of Mormon, opened it in the centre and read a few pages. He then closed the book with this statement: " I am convinced that no mortal man could have written this book. Either it is the work of God or it is the work of the devil, and I am going to find out who wrote it." Accordingly, he read the book through twice in the next ten days, whereupon he stated "The book testifies powerfully of Christ. The devil could not have written it -- it must be from God."
The stubborn, the unwilling and those who simply cant be bothered with the inconvenience of it all recite the mantra “But It cant be from God - as we all know, the day of miracles is past. God does not display his power or speak to men in this day and age”. Or does he? What other explanation can there be for the very existence of the book of Mormon? Is not God supposed to be unchangeable? Does he not love his children just as much in this day and age as he did in former days, when he spoke face to face with his chosen servants the prophets and apostles. He carried out miracles according to their faith. Why should he not do such things today?
It appears that the Lord has in large measure
deliberately withheld clear and unequivocal proof of the Book of Mormon so that
we might progress in the gospel on the basis of faith. After all, the plates
themselves could today be on display in a museum if He had so desired, instead
of having been returned to the angel Moroni. On the other hand, by providing so
many supporting evidences it is possible that to some extent, the need for
faith might be reduced or removed.
We sometimes chafe, regarding the exercise of faith
to be something of an unnecessary trial for us. However requiring faith of us
is strong evidence of our Heavenly Father’s great love and mercy. If we fail to
live up to the teachings of the Book of Mormon, how much more severely will we
be judged if we have accepted it on the basis of certain knowledge rather than
on the basis of “mere faith”? On the other hand, if we do live up to it even
though we don’t “know for sure” how greatly will he be able to bless us?
Remember, Oliver Cowdry had many marvellous experiences involving angels and
visions. Yet when the pressure was on, he sadly denounced the Prophet and
returned to the church only in his later years. Heaven alone knows what
blessings he forfeited by doing so.
While being aware of the need for faith, it is only
right that we should “study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy
2:15). “A loving, planning, shepherding God uses his prophets to feed his
people. At times he provides especially rich nourishment, causing us to cast
our gaze to people and places far beyond the moment at hand.” (Maxwell)
A careful study of the Book of Mormon is required of
any person that is serious about their membership in the kingdom. Many new and
not so new members of the church have failed to fully appreciate the precious new
volume of scripture given to us in the Book of Mormon. The Lord has warned us
that to some extent, the whole church is under condemnation because we have not
taken the Book of Mormon seriously enough and have treated it “lightly”.
D&C 84:54-58
The following extract from the April 2001 General
Conference is also a powerful reason for a careful study of the Book of Mormon.
“You will find that when Moroni’s promise is fulfilled and you are given the
knowledge that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God, there will come
with it a witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer and Savior of the
world. I have never known an instance where this did not occur. Moreover, I do
not believe a violation of this principle will ever take place. A spiritual
witness of the Nephite scripture will always bring the certainty of the
Savior’s existence.”
There is no doubt that the so called “supporting evidences” of the Book of Mormon pale into total and utter insignificance when we are possessed of the “primary evidence” of the Holy Ghost. “By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” Moroni 10:5. Even so, the “supporting evidences” can greatly enhance our appreciation of the Book of Mormon and can encourage us to serious, prayerful and ponderous study. Perhaps like the Law of Moses, “supporting evidences” can for some be regarded as a schoolmaster “to bring us unto Christ, that we might (thereafter) be justified by faith”. Galatians 3:24
· The Spalding manuscript plagiarism theory has been well and truly done to death. Fortunately the original Spaulding Manuscript was found some years ago and the Deseret News published the entire manuscript, under the title, “The Manuscript Found”. It is now available to any who care to read it. After comparing this manuscript with the Book of Mormon the publishers concluded: "After carefully perusing both books, we believe we can truthfully assert that there is not one sentence, one incident, or one proper name common to both, and that the oft boasted similarity in matter and nomenclature is utterly false. No two books could be more unlike. In fact Mr. Spaulding's Manuscript story no more resembles the Book of Mormon than Gullivers Travels is like the gospel of St. Matthew."
Here is a typical example of
incomplete quoting that has been circulated in newspapers all over the world.
The late President Brigham Young said. "We have in our midst the biggest
liars, the meanest devils that ever walked on the face of the earth ;"
However when this quotation is published by our critics, they very conveniently
omit to report that Brigham then went on to say "God knows that we have
never sustained them, that I have never sustained them, and with Gods help we
will cast them out."
On the other hand, selective
quoting involves taking 2 or more statements from different texts, and putting
them together so as to achieve the desired result. For example, the New
Testament says “Judas went out and hanged himself”. The New Testament also says
“Go thou and do likewise”. The sort of thing some of our critics do is to put 2
such statements together consecutively and then trumpet about the “quotation”
they have discovered as shock-horror “evidence” of what the church really
teaches and stands for. A good example of this misrepresentation is the
so-called “Adam-God theory”
When the truth of such
“objections” to the Book of Mormon and the restored Church of Jesus Christ
becomes known, it serves only to highlight the fundamental dishonesty and real
desperation of these critics. It is said that “A lie can travel halfway around the
world before the truth can get it’s boots on.” How many other churches or
religions have ever been maliciously misrepresented in such a determined and
persistent manner? Is it significant that “The way of truth shall be evil
spoken of.” (2 Peter 2:2)
· Perhaps the real problem people have with the Book of Mormon is that accepting it exposes them to the need for personal change. Some are honest and admit that they simply cant be bothered with the inconvenience of it all. Others hide behind the mantra “But It cant be from God - everyone knows that the day of miracles is past. God does not display his power or speak to men face to face in our day and age”. But what if he does? In the face of the steadily mounting evidence, for how long will such arguments remain a credible refuge?
Incidentally, on the very day that the Book of Mormon plates were delivered to the prophet Joseph Smith by the angel Moroni (22 September 1827), the Jews throughout the world were celebrating the Feast of Trumpets. Biblical references and interpretation by Jewish sages through the centuries set this day as the day God would remember his covenants with Israel and bring them back from exile.
Similarly, when Elijah the prophet appeared to Joseph Smith and bestowed on him the keys of “turning the hearts of the fathers to the children” on 3rd April 1836, this was the day of Passover when Jews everywhere leave an empty place at their tables as an invitation for Elijah to return in fulfilment of Malachi’s prophesy. The significance of these dates was not realized until many years later, after the events had taken place.