I am curious how the LDS community answers these questions.?

Question

Why, if the American Indians were descended from Lehi, was there such diversity in their languages, and why were there no vestiges of Hebrew in any of them?
Why does the Book of Mormon say that Lehi found horses when he arrived in America? The horse did not exist in the Americas until the Spaniards brought them over in the sixteenth century.
Why was Nephi stated to have a bow of steel? Jews did not have steel at that time, and no iron was smelted in the Americas until the Spanish colonization.
Why does the Book of Mormon mention “swords and cimeters” when scimitars (the current spelling) did not come about until the rise of Islam after 500 A.D.?
Why does the Book of Mormon mention silk, when silk did not exist in the Americas at that time?

Answer 1

The Human Genome Project has shown that Native Americans are genetically linked to asians, not middle easterners... "hebrews"...

There goes the whole Book of Mormon.... invalid.

Answer 2

Here we go again...

Looks like another person visited an Anti-Mormon website and copied their questions. To satisfy your request, I'll go ahead and touch lightly upon these things. However, learning the truth about spiritual things really comes from gaining a testimony given from God, not by nitpicking every little point of controversy (1Cor 2:10-14).

Languages can easily change over time, especially in cultures that are not heavily dependent on the written word. The Book of Mormon itself states that the language of one group of people had been corrupted (Omni 1:17). Remember, too, that the Nephites had been killed off by the Lamanites, who were an entirely different society of people with their own language; at one point, some of the Lamanites were taught in the language of the Nephites (Mosiah 24:4). And finally, the Book of Mormon informs the reader that the Hebrew had been altered by these people, insomuch that no other people on the planet knew their language (Mormon 9:33-34).

There is actually some evidence that horses did exist in the Americas before the Spaniards brought them over.

The Jews did have steel; in fact, they even had bows of steel (2Sam 22:35, Job 20:24, Ps 18:34)! Plus, you need to read the Book of Mormon to learn that Nephi's bow of steel was broken BEFORE they sailed to the American continents; they were still in the middle east. Besides, some iron alloys have actually been discovered in ancient Mesoamerica, so it is not entirely true that steel did not exist here before the Spaniards came.

If we assume that a cimeter is the same as a scimitar, there is no problem. Scimitars were used in battle as early as 1600 B.C. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scimitar

Richard S. Peigler, Ph.D., Curator of Entomology at the Denver Museum of Natural History, and Non-Mormon, published an article in Museum Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Spring, 1993), called "Silkworm of the Aztecs". It actually supports the notion that ancient americans had silk.

Answer 3

The problem, here, is that you're asking the wrong questions. None of your questions are going to get you any closer to God. None of them promote you to have more faith in your Creator.

If you take some time to ask the Saints questions that matter, like questions that address the ideas I just pointed out, you will find that there is no other organization on the Earth that is authorized to administer and officiate, nor can any organization provide you will the articulate, informative, and confirmation of truth of these teachings, better than the Latter-day Saints.

If you had the capacity to understand this one thing, then you would not be in the complete darkness that surrounds you and the rest of the Christians of the world. But indeed you would rather waste you time, and others around you, in the pursuit of ridiculous, unimportant matters that mean nothing to your personal salvation.

And that is the tragedy here. It has nothing to do with the Saints. One of these days, perhaps you'll come to your senses.

Answer 4

Looks like you got your answers, very hard to refute answers. plus others have a very good point in that if Joseph was a real con man, he would have been much more careful then to include "controversial" items. Not to mention, Joesph Smith died practically penniless, The "Tithe" of the church wasn't institued until much later. Why would he "con" and die for it but get nothing material out of it. Most con man get what they want and run.

When it comes down to it you need to seek your own truth. unfortunately many "proofs" don't come in a physical form. they come from a higher source. As mentioned if you ask God, and he says that the Book of Mormon is not true, then it's not for you. But many believe it, and you really have no right, reason, or proof to call them wrong. However if you really are asking these question out of curiosity, I would focus my attention on more important matters. How really cares of horses were here or not.

The Church of Jesus Christ is not for everyone, and some people do leave. As well as some people do illegal acts that cause people to leave. but like any church, its not the people or the subtle unimportant details that matters. It's the faith, If you can't agree with the faith then choose your own, you are more then welcome to; but leave all others to believe what they will.

Answer 5

those web content exist because of the fact they adult men who run them think of they might desire to exist. we are advised to seek for out of the terrific books words words of information and getting to know. we are no longer advised to evade anti-mormon web content yet we hit upon them lacking credibility merely as you seem to locate FARMS and FairLDS as lacking in credibility. You infrequently get a stable theory of a few thing from a one sided attitude. The spirit can instruct us fact from any source. I rather have examine each and all of the customary books interior the apocrypha and found some proper words of fact (besides the undeniable fact that i do no longer purchase the theory of the birds produced from dirt coming to existence and flying away nor the animals changing the different animals). So the Holy Ghost CONFIRMS fact which may well be modern in any source under the excellent circumstances if one looks for it. this is distinctive than finding for information and this is why. in the journey that your purpose is to instruct the e book of Mormon genuine then you definately will probably seek it is origins and are available to it is translation. Then the question of the Golden Plates arises, yet once you had them in front of you approaches do you realize that the translation is real or that the mere life of plates that appear as if gold validates their message. you will possibly would desire to flow back and analyze the historicity of the classic prophets that's impossible being that history makes their life possible yet no longer something states that adult men like Nephi and Moroni existed exterior of their checklist. So the deeper you go the only evidence one would have is with regard to the validity of their message; which you would be able to get now by employing prayer. maximum LDS do no longer examine FARMS, yet they do no longer examine anti stuff the two.

Answer 6

All these questions have been answered before on this site. Try doing a search. I am sure you won't "accept" what answers are given since it sounds like you have your mind made up already...but whatever.

Just so you know, most scholars believe the Book of Mormon events took place in Central/south america...not north america, so maybe that's why you are getting confused.

May I suggest two things:
#1 Read the Book of Mormon with the intent to see if it's true, not false. Ask God if it is. If you are sincere, He will answer you.
-or-
#2 Just leave us alone.

Answer 7

I would not "assume" to know what went on over 2 thousand years ago. The nephite people are extinct. How can you "assume" that never made steel or silk. You can't. How can you "assume" that you will ever fully understand the decisions and actions of God. None of us can. That is where faith comes into play. And prayer. You can attack the LDS faith all day long. But any member will tell you that they have faith and have prayed about these things. That is how the Holy Ghost works.

PLEASE don't be unchristlike and pick apart other peoples faiths.

As for Mitt Romney, he and I share something. We both believe in separation of church and state. :)

Answer 8

can you prove these things weren't here? let's think about this...if Joseph Smith was such a great con artist, wouldn't he have left things like these out of the Book of Mormon if he wrote it himself? it seems lie so many of you so called God fearing people don't rely on faith at all, but want everything to be proven. Why don't you read the Book of Mormon, then get on your knees and ask God what He thinks?

Answer 9

Why do you worry about all that, when it's the MESSAGE of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that's the most important thing?

I mean, the Bible mentions dinosaurs, says bats are birds and rabbits chew their cud, and you don't question it.

Answer 10

LDS religion is considered to be the most easily disproved religion on the earth. they cannot answer any of these questions. the Church avoids them like a plague because it know if it went to look for answers as many LDS's have done and left the church, it would fall apart from the inside and they would lose their massive soul killing monopoly they have on their followers. The LDS church is the work of Satan and he is laughing all the way home at the ignorance of its followers. They have taken advantage of the week minded, pray for them that God will show them the truth.