Queries & Comments

More on the Nephites and the Book of Mormon

It is with great interest that I read the “International Timeline-Mormon Theology” debate in the July/August 1988 issue of BAR (Queries & Comments, BAR 14:04). Dr. C. L. Sainsbury is correct when he cites the Book of Mormon as the principal (and to my knowledge the only) source of the mythical Nephite culture. Typical of many religions, the Mormon church must retreat to emotional experience when challenged by objective archaeological, anthropological and unadulterated historic facts. Truth is not determined by how intensely you believe it and how many believe it. When squared against objective evidence, the facts are:

1. No Book-of-Mormon cities have been located.

2. No Book-of Mormon names have been found in New World inscriptions.

3. No genuine New World inscriptions have been found in Hebrew.

4. No genuine New World inscriptions have been found in Egyptian or anything similar to Egyptian that could correspond to Joseph Smith’s “Reformed Egyptian.”

5. No ancient copies of the Book of Mormon scriptures have been found.

6. No ancient inscriptions of any kind indicate that the ancient inhabitants of the Americas had Hebrew or Christian beliefs—all are pagan.

7. No mention of Book-of-Mormon persons, nations or places have been found.

8. No artifact of any kind that demonstrates the Book of Mormon is true has been found.