Ask a Mormon, Part 3

[Eran of Arcadia]

They ceased to exist as distinct entities.

(In fact, the terms "Nephite" and "Lamanite" as used throughout the Book of Mormon are different from how they are used at the end. At first they were two different ethnic groups, but they basicall merged, then later this single group split on religious lines, and each faction used the name of a former group. Thus "Lamanite" as we use it to refer to the people of 400 CE means "descendant of Nephites+Lamanites".)

 

[downtown]

^^ And the Jaredites flat out killed each other.

 

[puglover]

The Book of Mormon itself - most of it was abridged by the prophets Mormon (hence the name) and Moroni as it happened.

Dude! That's where Mormon comes from? My youth group was wondering, and now I have the answer!

 

[Birdjaguar]

It isn't - the Book of Mormon describes a couple of groups of people who lived somewhere in the Western hemisphere between about 600 BCE and 400 CE. Many Mormons have taken it to be somewhere in Mesoamerica. A common argument against the veracity of the Book of Mormon is that archaeological evidence should exist of such people; my reply being that we wouldn't recognize it since the Book of Mormon doesn't actually give a lot of details about where it was or what sort of culture the people had.

How did they get from the Middle East to N. America?

 

[downtown]

God showed them how to make boats, and guided them on the journey.

 

[Rossiya]

ACH! I didn't know that Mormons are Latter-Day Saints...

 

[bhsup]

I was looking on Amazon.com for The Book Of Mormon, and this popped up in the search. Mormonism For Dummies. Have any Mormons here read it? The reviews are all good, but I'd rather not blow the moolah for it if it's actually a dud.

 

[downtown]

I haven't read the book before, but by looking at the authors, I think it ought to be legit. Riess, in particular, is an outstanding scholar in her own right, and I would expect Bigelow to be a total expert, having worked on the Edsign. Everything in that book ought to be true.

If you want a BOM, I just can mail you one with the CD...it isn't something that you should pay for.

 

[bhsup]

If you want a BOM, I just can mail you one with the CD...it isn't something that you should pay for.

No, no. I'm not going to convert, but I'd like to read it anyway. Your church shouldn't have to spend money just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[downtown]

Haha, we don't pay money to have those printed just for "people who are going to convert", its for everybody, from Dawkins and Curt, to public Libraries, to curious Methodist Ministers, Children, you name it. Our tithing dollars at work!

Amazon is asking what, 16 bucks? The Church sends out a paperback copy for free for anybody who wants it, or you can order a nicer one for a lot less money than that.

 

[Birdjaguar]

God showed them how to make boats, and guided them on the journey.

If that is all there is on it, then it is pretty lame. Ocean-going craft for thousands of people would be a noticeable thing in the ancient world and then to just forget the ability once in America...

 

[downtown]

If that is all there is on it, then it is pretty lame. Ocean-going craft for thousands of people would be a noticeable thing in the ancient world and then to just forget the ability once in America...

Well, neither trip consisted on "thousands" of people...both were rather small groups (like, under 100).

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

And it lay outside the normal tech tree so to speak - the whole idea is that God showed them how to do it once, as that is what He needed, but after that they were fine just staying where they were.

 

[Nylan]

I was looking on Amazon.com for The Book Of Mormon, and this popped up in the search. Mormonism For Dummies. Have any Mormons here read it? The reviews are all good, but I'd rather not blow the moolah for it if it's actually a dud.

I flipped through it. Some was good...some was a bit questionable. Nothing you can't find out here or www.mormon.com, which are far more likely to be accurate resources on what we believe.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Actually, I think I flipped through it once at a bookstore. It seemed solid, but bear in mind that even though we are probably more unified in our beliefs than most religions, there will still always be different opinions.

 

[Nylan]

If that is all there is on it, then it is pretty lame. Ocean-going craft for thousands of people would be a noticeable thing in the ancient world and then to just forget the ability once in America...

^What those two said. They were to be given a "promised land". Once in this land, they had no incentive to send a huge voyage somewhere else. In fact it's comparable to Moses, who had to transport a lot more people across the red sea, which was admittedly a shorter distance.

 

[Birdjaguar]

And it lay outside the normal tech tree so to speak - the whole idea is that God showed them how to do it once, as that is what He needed, but after that they were fine just staying where they were.

^What those two said. They were to be given a "promised land". Once in this land, they had no incentive to send a huge voyage somewhere else. In fact it's comparable to Moses, who had to transport a lot more people across the red sea, which was admittedly a shorter distance.

So, it was a miracle. Ok that works for me. BTW, if it was only a hundred people, could 100 turn into 10,000,000 in 3000 years? Another miracle?

I am not opposed to miraculous explanations, as long as they are clearly stated as such. That way I know the limits of inquiry.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, as far as population, there are a couple explanations. The one I favor is that they effectively mixed with groups that were already here, picking up the native culture but in turn giving the natives their religion.

 

[Nylan]

Mulekites as well

they'd been there for a while, so they were above 100 when the Nephites found them

 

[Birdjaguar]

Well, as far as population, there are a couple explanations. The one I favor is that they effectively mixed with groups that were already here, picking up the native culture but in turn giving the natives their religion.

Mulekites as well

they'd been there for a while, so they were above 100 when the Nephites found them

Disclaimer: Ihave never read any of the book of Mormon.

So the Book of Mormon says that Native Americans were already here when the Jews arrived?