Serious question. Do most Mormons believe that near east people were in North America?

Question

coins, chariots, horses, white people, black people, huge battles, all of those real events right? large events supported by large cities right? and gold plates burried right? a few paper afidavits and that's it right? What's the spin, what's the hope. Who's sweating this one, whos working overtime to make sure the Book of Mormon doesn't become a comic book. For real...I'm not perfect. I'm just a person asking for answers the best way I know how.

Christianity does not take place in a fictional place. People make a leap of faith when they believe in a virgin Mary and a flood. thousands of years ago, people wrote of events they believed happened. It is up to us to review scripture and decide how accurate something is. Having actual people and places help someone in having a leap of faith. Having no people and no place and a 200 year old document do not compare.

There is a conventional definition of near east. Look it up.

Alwaysab has an interesting answer. Correct me if I'm wrong. I thought these cultures were huge. thousands of people died in these battles?? many accounts of steel and horses. civilizations with money.. I'm only going to make people mad. It's a challenge that is very uncomfortable. For me and you. I may take this question down because I really wanted some new information. sorry to offend.

Marly, thanks for the scripture and thanks for the positive insight on acheology.

Can someone point out the area that Robin is mistaken in? She has 5 neg. so far.

My gorgou, thanks...this is exactly what I was looking for.

I guess not so fast. I took a look at those pages. it's nonLDS. ...for what I saw were obvious reasons.

beta. leaps of faith are somewhat noticeable. some have a large leap to make, some have a shorter one. Some religions can give GPS locations and some can't. Do I need to beat this dead horse?

court records from 16 mo. prior to discover of the golden plates. Legal matter with Smith. scammingm hopeful treasure finders by offering supernatural services. namely "glass looking" he didn't stop after his first son came out still born and deformed either. This is sort of sick I think. Am I creating a clearer picture of why people accuse Mormon's of being a cult?

Mormon 4 jesus, I would be happy with sticking my hands in even the eye sockets of an old horse. Do you know what I mean? ...why give me the spin on setting. that's as bad as the first. please don't compare the LDS story with the crucification of Jesus. LDS loves to borrow some credibility by doing that. classic.

hibby, there were some surviving documents from that..some anyway. I don't lump in Jesus with Lord of the Rings, why are you doing it to the book of Mormon. For you it may be right to say that at least Jesus was a documented person. The only real documents in the LDS is Joseph Smiths arrest record.

fyi, I never give negatives to someone. This is a healthy exchange even though blood pressure goes up in people I'm sure

Answer 1

Amazing, isn't it....I mean, we're not talking about some isolated tribe of uneducated forest dwellers, these are modern people living in modern cities with access to modern education and knowledge reserves and yet they insist that their absurd beliefs are real. This is why I have such a problem with Mormons. They not only believe all the Christian wacky myths but they've added a whole new level of wackiness and the Mormon church is one of the richest organizations in America. This is testament to the average Americans inherent stupidity, laziness and gullibility.

Answer 2

The basic belief is that a family from Jerusalem did settle in the Americas. North or south is never stated. Nor is it ever stated that they were the only people here. Just that a family did come. Is it so hard to believe that a group of people escaped religious persecution in one place, built a boat, and landed here? Or that they built up a small civilzation?Or that over the course of a thousand years, their culture and perspective evolved and changed so much as to make it unrecognizeable from the original intent of their forefathers? Alot can happen in 2600 years. A species can die out, a civilization can be destroyed and rebuilt several times over. Records can be destroyed and hidden and discovered. There are entire fields of study that focus on learning and discovering the past. It's not an exact science. Do you have all the answers? I didn't think so. 2000 years from now, will your life become a comic book? Only if you do more with it than spend hours trying tro refute someone elses belief system.

What is your fear? That the other sheep Jesus spoke of in John might be real? That the scrolls of Joseph and Judah will actually support each other (from Ezekiel 27) or that a second Testament of God's love for his children will somehow help people to come unto Christ? The hope from the Book of Mormon is that more of Gods children will find a source of faith and comfort in their lives.

Edit: It's not the question that offends so much as the comic book reference that makes everything look less legit than an honest question. I wouldn't presume to refer to anyone's sacred texts as comic book material. Just be careful how your phrase things when you really are seeking. And honestly, I would look at the source first. No one will begrudge you a copy of the Book of Mormon to search and attempt to refute. I have met many scholars who have searched the book and researched the religion without conversion and being pressured by folks. Just be honest and kind about your research from the beginning. And no more comic book references.

Answer 3

Too bad Cortez burned the Aztec libraries...we might have learned some things from them.

You don't like Mormons, you don't buy the Mormon story. That's fine. However, you are religious.

Do you buy that a white guy walked on water? Turned water into wine? Fed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 Fishes? Do you believe that because he suffered and died, that you can raise from the dead and be washed clean from all of your sins?

Where's the proof? Where's the evidence?

It's interesting that people are so quick to have faith (but no evidences) in their own beliefs, yet demand irrefutable evidence when it comes to another.

I assume that you're Christian and that you believe in God.

I'll also assume that you believe that God answers sincere, humble prayers.

So....take it up with God. Let him know that you want to know if the Book of Mormon was written by ancient Prophets or if it's a book of fiction. Read it humbly, sincerely, and full of faith, being ready to receive and act on the answer that God gives you (yes...this means becoming Mormon if God tells you that it's true).

You believe God can lead you to the truth? Ask him, not us.

That is where you'll find your own irrefutable truth.

God requires us to have faith.....As soon as there is proof, then it's knowledge, and it requires no belief and no faith. That's why no absolute proof will ever be found for either the Bible or the Book of Mormon....however, you can have absolute surety in your heart if you want it badly and if you ask God.

"Ask and ye shall receive, Knock and it shall be given unto you"

Answer 4

No. We believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem like the Bible states. And the thing about Jerusalem in the Book of Mormon said 'at Jerusalem', meaning in the region surrounding Jerusalem, which Bethlehem is. After Jesus' resurrection and teaching of the masses, he continued showing up around the world teaching his 'other sheep'. And, like in the mid east, they misinterpreted his 'I will return' message incorrectly too. And as for humans in north America, the first migration was believed to be around 12,000 yrs ago. Prior to that it is believed that there was no one here. But, there has been so much geological shake up going on in the new world, that even that timeline is questionable. There could have been humans here longer than 12,000 yrs ago. As for your geology teacher, I have come to question whether they really know what they're teaching. I had a geology teacher tell me that I was wrong because I said I had been somewhere where the temperature was 120. He said I would have died. I live in Las Vegas now, the temperatures have hit 120+ and I'm still here. And I was talking about Death Valley, it had 136 in 1913. Several yrs before I was there. Yet he still insisted I was wrong.

Answer 5

We believe, as do most people, that there were many different groups of people living in Ancient America. We believe that many of them migrated from Asia. Some of them migrated via ocean travel. The Book of Mormon chronicles the histories of several of these groups.

Archaeology is revealing amazing things today in central and south America. Things that 19th century Joseph Smith could not have known about on his own.

I'm curious as to your mocking attitude toward a book and a religion about which you seem to know so little.

EDIT: Um..fictional place? I'm pretty sure the existence of the Americas was verified over 500 years ago by European explorers...where ya been? So, you're saying that my belief in miraculous occurrences is more difficult to believe than yours because of the geographic location where it took place? Hmmm....yeah......

Answer 6

yup, yup, yup, yup, dark not black, yup, yup, yup, yup, yup. no spin - hope of life everlasting through our Savior Jesus Christ. not sweating a thing except my personal exaltation. oh, and some enterprising persons have already turned it into a comic book to help kids learn the stories & teachings.

want some specifics? ok - just this summer, I took my kids to St Louis and we discovered the Cahokia mounds -- there's a terrific visitors center there that tells about the people, how they lived and how over 25000 people lived there...

oh, and it was not uncommon for the early colonists to find caches of gold from previous civilizations... it's been years since i lived back east but i remember being rivetted to the stories as a child.

If you're truly asking for answers, I have a question for you: have you read it? I have. I'm also a lover of ancient history & peoples and love to wander ruins whether they are mesopotamian, roman, pre-colombian, european, Hopi, Havi, etc... I find the supposition of archeologists interesting, but ultimately, they are theorizing. Look at the confusion about ancient Egypt until the Rosetta Stone was found and translated.
You say you're asking questions, but are you asking the right one? refer to Moroni 10:4

Answer 7

And would you insist on sticking your hand in the wounds on His hands and side before you acknowledge that Jesus Christ is standing right in front of you?

There are lots of fictional stories that are written set in real places. Does that make the stories real?

Answer 8

Physical evidences are nice, but I don't base my testimony on those alone. I have had a witness from the Holy Spirit confirming the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, which a lot of people just cannot or will not accept or understand.

Answer 9

There has been evidence found of ancient civilizations. Here is a website that talks about, and answers the questions you have asked. You probably won't take what he says as fact, but I'll try anyway.

Answer 10

Are you a Christian? Because there's no proof about a giant flood either. And 2000 years ago, a virgin mother was scientifically impossible, and that's not to mention Moses and all the 'impossible' things he did.

Answer 11

They believe there were two migrations of people into the Americas from the Middle East. One across the Pacific from the coast of Sumeria, and one from Egypt across the Atlantic. This is based on accounts in the Book of Mormon, which their founder Joseph Smith claimed to have translated from "Reform Egyptian" (whatever that is - Linear A Script?)