Book of Mormon Intro Page Change

[madhatter85]

Originally Posted by Watchmen

And what happens when "modern evidence" further disproves the Book of Mormon as time goes on?

The evidence so far has dis-proven nothing. and there will be no evidence that disproves the Book of Mormon ever.

[Watchmen]

Originally Posted by madhatter85

The evidence so far has dis-proven nothing. and there will be no evidence that disproves the Book of Mormon ever.

Sticking your head in the sand doesn't change the facts. If the evidence that exists was church-friendly they intro page to the Book of Mormon would not have changed.

[madhatter85]

Originally Posted by Watchmen

Sticking your head in the sand doesn't change the facts. If the evidence that exists was church-friendly they intro page to the Book of Mormon would not have changed.

Do you believe for one second that it was "The Church" that decided to change the intro page?

Do you not believe it was done with much prayer and inspiration? that the first presidency did not received an answer from God directly to change it?

[Watchmen]

Originally Posted by madhatter85

Do you believe for one second that it was "The Church" that decided to change the intro page?

Do you not believe it was done with much prayer and inspiration? that the first presidency did not received an answer from God directly to change it?

And wasn't that true of the original title page? And what's to say the still small voice won't tell them something different in the future?

[madhatter85]

Originally Posted by Watchmen

And wasn't that true of the original title page? And what's to say the still small voice won't tell them something different in the future?

It still doesn't matter. the change does not represent any kind of position that says the Book of Mormon events did not happen.

[Watchmen]

Originally Posted by madhatter85

It still doesn't matter. the change does not represent any kind of position that says the Book of Mormon events did not happen.

No. The change says it didn't happen like we used to think it happened. Another such change is always a possibility in the future.

[Scott C.]

Originally Posted by Watchmen

And what happens when "modern evidence" further disproves the Book of Mormon as time goes on?

There's a huge difference between not being certain how many native americans today descend from ancient Book of Mormon people and not being certain that ancient Book of Mormon people ever existed. The scriptures don't speak to the former, but they do to the latter.

[justamere10]

Originally Posted by Scott C.

There's a huge difference between not being certain how many native americans today descend from ancient Book of Mormon people and not being certain that ancient Book of Mormon people ever existed. The scriptures don't speak to the former, but they do to the latter.

It's almost certain that there were many other people in the Americas when Lehi's small group arrived, so today's Native Americans are not likely to have much if any Lehite DNA in them. Interestingly though, a friend of mine recently spoke with the Chief of the Hopi Nation in Arizona. Their oral tradition has their ancestors coming from Jerusalem.

A DNA scientist says that it is impossible to prove the Book of Mormon wrong by DNA.

---------
Dr. John M. Butler Ph.D is a leading expert on DNA typing. He is currently a fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Techology. Butler received his bachelors degree from Brigham Young University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Butler has written a textbook on DNA Typing. He has also written widely on DNA research from "A Few Thoughts of a Believing Scientist" which analyzes the possibilities of DNA research applied to the Book of Mormon to multiple articles on polymerase chain reactions where he was the lead author. He has also studied Y-chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA use, including its role in genealogical DNA testing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_M._Butler_(scientist)


Below are a few extracts from an article written by Dr. Butler:

Recent claims concerning the supposed absence of DNA evidence in support of the Book of Mormon have caused me to investigate more closely what the record itself has to say on the topic. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineage of Nephi's children (and of Laman's offspring) would come through Ishmael's wife since the four oldest sons of Lehi as well as Zoram married the five daughters of Ishmael (see 1 Nephi 16:7). Unfortunately, Ishmael's wife is of unknown background and heritage. In fact, she is mentioned only twice in the Book of Mormon (see 1 Nephi 7:6, 19) and may have died before Ishmael since she is not mentioned as a mourner when Ishmael dies at Nahom (see 1 Nephi 16:34—35). Perhaps the historical information in the large plates of Nephi, or even the 116 pages translated in 1828 and lost by Martin Harris, could shed some light on Ishmael's wife's background if only we had access to them.

The wives of Ishmael's two sons (see 1 Nephi 7:6) would also potentially introduce additional mtDNA lineages into the Nephite and Lamanite descendants, as would Nephi's sisters (see 2 Nephi 5:6). But, again, the Book of Mormon record is silent regarding their backgrounds.

Thus, we are left without enough information from the Book of Mormon record itself to identify definitively an appropriate genetic source population that could be used to calibrate the claims of the Book of Mormon. Likewise, we do not have sufficient information to declare the Book of Mormon not true.



Interestingly absent from the critics' contentions is mention of the Jaredites. The Jaredite nation existed for more than 1,500 years before the Lehites arrived in the promised land. This group spanned at least 29 generations (see Ether 1:6—33) with combinations of marriages between people whose background we know virtually nothing about. The Jaredites most likely traveled from central Asia to northeast Asia and then via barges to the New World (see Hugh Nibley, Lehi in the Desert; The World of the Jaredites; There Were Jaredites [1988], 181—82). Genetically, their path of travel would have seemed much like land passage across the Bering Strait if others along that route joined them and Asian bloodlines entered their group as they traveled. After arriving in the New World, the Jaredite people had hundreds of years to grow and spread across parts of the continent, perhaps encountering and intermarrying with other groups of unknown origin.

Thus, we are left where we started (and where I believe the Lord intended us to be)—in the realm of faith. A spiritual witness is the only way to know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Although DNA studies have made links between Native Americans and Asians, these studies in no way invalidate the Book of Mormon despite the loud voices of detractors.



http://mi.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=12&num=1&id=312

[idea]

Originally Posted by Watchmen

the original title page

I was not aware that the original title page was considered "scripture" just as the dictionary, footnotes, chapter headings etc. etc. are not considered "scripture".

Here is an incorrect chapter heading that may very well be changed in a few years:

CHAPTER 11

Nephite coinage set forth—Amulek contends with Zeezrom—Christ will not save people in their sins—Only those who inherit the kingdom of heaven are saved—All men shall rise in immortality—There is no death after the resurrection. About 82 B.C.
(Book of Mormon | Alma11:Heading)

coinage? There is no mension of any coins in this chapter.

from: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Brochures/Anachronisms6.pdf
The term "coins" is never actually used in the Book of Mormon text. The chapter heading of Alma 11 which mentions "coins" is in error and was inserted during a nineteenth century editing. It is not part of the original Book of Mormon text. Alma 11 does deal with Nephite money, which is not anachronistic. Some ancient Mesoamericans, for instance, used cacao beans for money.1 Not only were cacao beans used as money anciently but they were still used as money in Mesoamerica until about fifty years ago.
Money need not take the form of coins as long as it serves as a standard measure of value. ...


The chapter heading and intro pages etc. etc. are not scripture...

[Watchmen]

Idea, no one has said the intro page is scripture.