First of all, please let us in on the disappearing anachronisms.
1) Thomas O’Dey, in 1957, stated, “Every commentator on the Book of Mormon has pointed out the many cultural and historical anachronisms, such as steel. A steel sword of Laban in 600 B.C.”
Of course, now we know that they did have steel swords in Jerusalem in 600 BC. Such a sword is now on display at Jerusalem’s Israel Museum, dating from 700 BC.
2) The Book of Mormon also mentions the plates of brass, a possession of Laban who lived in Jerusalem in 600 BC. No other examples of brass plates were known to exist, so it was considered an anachronism. Now, of course, several examples have been unearthed.
3) Barley was recently proven to exist in ancient America, as it was found in several Native American gravesites.
4) Stone monuments were unknown to Joseph Smith and his contemporaries, yet the Book of Mormon mentions them. Many thousands have since been found.
5) Thrones. The Book of Mormon mentions thrones, when no thrones were known to exist in North America in 1830. The critics were wrong.
6) Palaces. The Book of Mormon mentions palaces, when no palaces were believed to exist in North America. The critics were wrong again.
7) Large Cities. No one believed that large cities, as described in the Book of Mormon, existed in North America.
8) Fortifications. Many of the cities in the Book of Mormon were surrounded by fortifications; a large ditch was dug around the cities, the dirt piled into a berm that also surrounded the city. Atop the berm was a fortification of timbers. None were known to exist in 1830, but now there are several that have been found. Palenque is perhaps the most noted, but there are others.
9) Cement is mentioned in the Book of Mormon dating to the 1st century. It wasn't until the last 50 years that cement was discovered in North America - dating from the 1st century.
10) Highways. The idea that the "savages" built highways was ridiculous in 1830. Now we know of several examples.
11) Military clothing; the military clothing of the Book of Mormon is described in detail and doesn't match any known clothing of the local indian tribes. It is a match for Mexican and Mesoamerican tribes.
12) Swords, spears, javelins, and slings were all considered to be anachronisms in the Book of Mormon. Examples of all have been found.
13) Human sacrifice is mentioned in the Book of Mormon. It was once considered to be an anachronism.
14) Reading and writing; no one believed that any of the natives could read and write as mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
15) The Book of Mormon describes two advanced civilizations - the older one in the north; two more than were known to exist in 1830.
There are two distinct classes of anachronisms; those that occur in the Old World and those that appear in the New World. The first two are examples of anachronisms concerning the Old World. Today we know much more about the Old World than we do about the New World.
Almost all of the New World anachronisms are still anachronisms for New York and its environs, but few of them are anachronisms for Mexico. That is why many believe that Mexico or Mesoamerica is the land of the Book of Mormon.
Wade Miller is a scientist and archeologist who has written a book describing the evidence for the animals mentioned in the Book of Mormon. If the archeological evidence is to be believed, then several more supposed anachronisms can be taken off the list, including elephants and horses.
