Has DNA Disproven the Book of Mormon?

"The normal way of dealing with the Book of Mormon
'scientifically' has been first to attribute to the Book of
Mormon something it did not say, and then to refute the
claim by scientific statements that have not been proven."- Hugh Nibley

The Book of Mormon has come under attack by critics on a number of levels. The most recent attack on the authenticity of the Book of Mormon has been under the guise of "science" in the form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) testing on Native American populations. These attacks, spearheaded by former Mormons Thomas W. Murphy (an anthropologist who has been heralded by many as the Mormon Galileo) and Simon Southerton (a plant biologist) essentially run as following:

1. The Book of Mormon claims that all Native Americans are descendants of a Middle Eastern Semite named Lehi.
2. Genetic testing on Native American populations has shown that Indians are not of Middle Eastern descent, but from Asia.
3. Thus, this proves that the Book of Mormon is not a true history.
4. Ergo, this disproves any claim by Joseph Smith to have translated ancient records from real ancient Americans.

These attacks on the Book of Mormon stem from a poor understanding of the claims of the Book of Mormon and an even poorer understanding of genetic science in relationship to the history of ancient populations. In effect, DNA attacks on the Book of Mormon are attacking a straw man that critics have set up against the Book of Mormon. As as been shown again and again by Latter-day Saint scientists, historians and scholars, the Book of Mormon simply does not present a hypothesis that can be tested by DNA. Thus, the DNA evidence does not hurt the Book of Mormon itself, but simply erroneous interpretations of the text of the Book of Mormon.

Take the first part of the argument. Critics claim that the Book of Mormon says that all Native Americans are descendants of Lehi. However, this is poor reading of the text. The Book of Mormon is, as has been shown by Dr. John Sorenson, a linear history, or, in other words, a history that selectively treats few populations. It is not describing the entire history of America in ancient times, but rather select populations.

Furthermore, evidence from the text seems to indicate that when Lehi and his family landed in Mesoamerica (the most likely spot where the events of the Book of Mormon occurred) they encountered and intermingled with native populations that were already present in America. Therefore, if Nephi and his family began intermarrying and mingling with native populations, then their genetic material would be nearly impossible to detect today. This phenomenon is called a population bottleneck. In other words, a genetic drift away from Lehi's genetic structure would take place amongst his descendants as their DNA began to mutate and adapt to the already overwhelming genetic presence of the native population. This bottleneck effect is also perpetuated by massive killings of selected populations that further wipe out whatever genetic material may have been left in the alien population. This is exactly the case with the Nephites, who were, en mass, wiped out (DNA and all) by the thousands.

Another consideration is what is called the founder effect. According to Wikipedia, founder effect is "the loss of genetic variation when a new colony is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population." (See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founder_effect)

In other words, as is attested in the Book of Mormon, when a small number of individuals marries and intermingles into a larger population, the genetic signal of the smaller group can become lost or overpowered by the already prevalent genetic makeup of the larger population that the smaller population is being assimilated into. (Interestingly enough, Murphy admitted this himself in his essay critical of the Book of Mormon based on DNA evidence. See "Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy and Genetics," in American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon, ed. Dan Vogel and Brent Lee Metcalfe (Salt Lake City: Signature, 2002), 53)

These and other reasons are important in taking to consideration if one is going to pronounce gloom and doom upon the Book of Mormon based on DNA. Simply put, the Book of Mormon does not present a scenario that can be tested by DNA.

Nevertheless, this has not stopped people (and entire organizations) from heralding this as the final nail in the coffin for the Book of Mormon. Much like Charles Larson, who proclaimed that it was "all over!" based on the controversy surrounding the Book of Abraham, so critics have announced that at last the Book of Mormon has been disproven by science.

One such organization, Living Hope Ministry (LHM), has produced a DVD entitled DNA Vs. The Book of Mormon in which Joel Kramer, the producer of the DVD and the head of LHM, has gleefully announced that the false prophet Joseph Smith and his bogus Book of Mormon has been proven to be a fraud. At the end of his DVD, he urges his watchers to accept fundamentalist Protestantism as the true Gospel and to leave Mormonism.

In DNA Vs. The Book of Mormon, Kramer presents that DNA evidence has proven that the Native Americans are from Asia and not the Middle East. This, he says, disproves the Book of Mormon. However, one thing that Kramer is careful not to tell his watchers is the fact that that very same DNA evidence is being used by secular scientists to bolster Darwin's theory of evolution, which is the polar opposite of the ideology of fundamentalist Evangelicalism. Furthermore, Kramer also omits the fact that the DNA used by scientists to link the Indians to Asian ancestry (the very DNA Kramer is proclaiming disproves the Book of Mormon) is believed to have been transmitted to the Americas from between 20,000 to 12,000 BCE. This is further at odds with the fundamentalist Evangelical view that Adam and Eve lived around 8,000-6,000 BCE.

Here is an apt cartoon illustrating this:

which cartoon is further explained here for the humor-impaired.

So we see a subtle double standard being employed by Evangelical critics of the Book of Mormon. On the one hand, they want to use DNA to disprove Mormonism. On the other hand, they refuse to apply the same standards (indeed, the very same DNA testing) they are subjecting the Mormons to towards their own paradigm. Considering this, one is forced to wonder just what Mr. Kramer's intentions are. Does he really want to proclaim the truth? Or is he simply trying to get a cheap shot off at the Mormons? In this case, I view the latter as more viable.

In conclusion, despite the popular ideas that the public holds about DNA testing, thanks largely in part to TV programs such as CSI, the Book of Mormon simply cannot be tested by DNA one way or another. It simply does not present a hypothesis that can be tested by DNA.

This has been but a brief overview on the issue of DNA and the Book of Mormon. There is much more that could be said about this issue. Therefore, the reader is advised to follow up on this issue by reading the following links.

Kevin Barney, A Brief Review of Murphy and Southerton's "Galileo Event.". A review of an article on DNA and the Book of Mormon that appeared in Anthropology News.

Cooper Johnson, "DNA and the Book of Mormon," (Redding, California: FAIR, March 2002) Some say that DNA research can disprove (or prove) The Book of Mormon. This article examines a presentation on the subject by Dr. Scott R. Woodward at the 2001 FAIR Conference.

Brant Gardner, "The Tempest in a Teapot: DNA Studies and the Book of Mormon," (Redding, California: FAIR, January 2003) A review of what DNA studies can and, more importantly, cannot tell us about the Book of Mormon.

Jeff Lindsay, Does DNA evidence refute the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon has come under heavy fire from critics in light of DNA evidence which is said to utterly refute claims of its historicity. These attacks typically rely on several faulty assumptions about the Book of Mormon and leave out important scientific details about the DNA evidence.

Brent Lee Shelton and Jonathan Marks, "Genetic Markers Not a Valid Test of Native Identity," (City Unknown: Council for Reponsible Genetics, 2002) While not directly citing DNA in relation to the Book of Mormon, this article provides an interesting viewpoint that indicates why DNA tests cannot provide conclusive proof of whether a person belongs to a specific ethnic group (such as Lamanites).

The FARMS Review, 2003. Volume 15, Number 2, pp. 25, 35, 91, 129, 165, 183. (PDF, 6.95 MB). Note that while not all of the essays in this edition of the FARMS Review do not deal with DNA, there a number of important essays on the subject contained therein.

Michael Whiting, "DNA and the Book of Mormon," (Provo, Utah: FARMS, January 2003) Published as a PDF and as a 45-minute video presentation concerning DNA and the Book of Mormon. An excellent resource that explains the problems in drawing definitive conclusions about the Book of Mormon based on DNA findings.

See also:

Part 1 - The Book of Mormon and New World DNA


Part 2 - The Book of Mormon and New World DNA


Part 3 - The Book of Mormon and New World DNA

This video just begs to be shared on this blog. It's called "The Book of Mormon vs. The Cell Phone". What would it be like if we treated the Book of Mormon like we do our cell phones?

Nephi Begins to Build a Ship (1 Nephi 17)

Nephi gives the direction as "nearly eastward" in which they traveled for the remainder of their journey. If the speculated path of their travels is correct, this would cause them to be leaving the area of Nahom and heading into the most dangerous parts of southern Arabia...the present-day country of Yemen. It was likely a route through what is more commonly known as "The Empty Quarter" or "Al-Rub Al-Khali". Even today, this is a treacherous route, filled with wandering groups of nomads and full of lawlessness. The general condition is survival of the fittest as each group takes advantages of anothers weaknesses so as to survive on the scarce resources available in that area. This is the most likely reason why we are told by Nephi that their family subsisted on raw (uncooked) meat for the duration of that part of the journey. Had they built fires (even if fuel for such would have been available), they would have immediately drawn unwanted attention to themselves and been targeted by other tribes.

Heading almost directly eastward toward the Dhofar region of Oman would take them to a little band of verdant and fertile land. Whether they knew their ultimate destination at this point is not recorded, but it would make sense that they would have at least heard from the natives of Nahom that there would be a desirable destination at the end of that long and arduous trail. If not, it is safe to assume that they simply followed the compass and directions given to them by the Lord.

Upon arrival in this green oasis which they would call Bountiful, this is what they found:



It must have been a marvelous place in their sight after thousands of miles of sand, rocks, and looming demise. Not only that, but it is simply incredible that Joseph Smith, if, as the critics believe, he made it all up, would have guessed on pure luck a route that perfectly matches what we find in that region today. No maps of that area of the world existed for him to consult and no one in upstate New York had any inkling of what topology resources existed on the remotest southeast edge of Arabia.

Almost immediately after they arrive, the Lord speaks to Nephi and tells him to get up into a mountain for further instructions. Nephi obeys and when he arrives is told he is to build a ship large enough and strong enough to carry his family and provisions over the sea to a promised land. Any other man would have complained loudly about having to leave this newfound security for more uncertainty, but not Nephi. He simply asked where he might go to find ore so that he could make tools. The area of Khor Kharfot in this green region was found to have a deposit of a type of limonite or ferroan dolomite ore which has a composition such that it would have easily been turned refined into tools given what Nephi describes he was able to use to refine it.

Nephi's obedience by now is an expected reaction to seemingly impossible commandments. Likewise, Laman's and Lemuel's reactions seem to be just as predictable on the other end of the spectrum. Upon seeing Nephi preparing to build a ship, they immediately point out the lunacy of the endeavor and pour down verbal persecution on Nephi. No mention is made of Nephi ever asking them to help him, yet they seem to feel that he eventually will.

As if Nephi has finally has has had enough (after eight years of complaining), he counterargues that were it not for the miracles of the prophet Moses, they wouldn't even be having this conversation. If God could part the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross on dry ground, God could make even the ocean into dry earth for them to cross over to the promised land. And if God could command that to happen, he could help Nephi to build a ship. (What also comes to mind here is the fact that Noah and seven of his family members built an ark that carried them to safety in the flood.) Nephi then reminds them of every miracle they had experienced thus far and their not having learned the intended lessons.

Of course, this made Laman and Lemuel very angry and they attempted to lay hands on him to throw him into the sea, but Nephi warned them that if they should touch him, they would wither "as a dried reed".

At this point, the Spirit must have been upon Nephi and on his brethren because Laman and Lemuel were visibly confounded and didn't even dare to touch him for several days. The Lord had Nephi further demonstrate His power to them by commanding Nephi to stretch out his hand with the intent that instead of withering, they would be "shocked" or "shaken".

It must have been an impressive feeling because it caused both of them to fall down and attempt to worship Nephi. He stopped them and simply told them to stop being rebellious, to honor their father and mother, and to worship God.

Alma ben Yehuda

Much of the Book of Mormon details the life and ministry of a certain man named Alma and his son, also named Alma. These two men of God performed great works for Christ in serving others and spreading the word of God to both Nephites and Lamanites. Their lives are recorded in the books of Mosiah and Alma in the Book of Mormon.

Critics of the Book of Mormon have long proclaimed that Alma as a male name is a blunder for Joseph Smith and evidence against Book of Mormon historicity. The standard argument runs that the word Alma is not a male Semitic name, but a feminine Latin word and, even worse, a feminine Hebrew word meaning a betrothed virgin. How stupid could Joseph Smith have been, they ask, since everybody knows that Alma is not a male name.

For example, the late "Dr." Walter Martin, a longtime critic of Mormonism, wrote:

"Alma is supposed to be a prophet of God and of Jewish ancestry in the Book of Mormon. In Hebrew Alma means a betrothed virgin maiden-hardly a fitting name for a man." (The Maze of Mormonism (Santa Ana, California: Vision House, 1978), 327.)

Similarly, John L. Smith, another vocal critic of Mormonism, wrote:

"So Mormons who name their sons Alma have actually named them 'lass' or 'virgin' or a young woman. Interesting!" ("A Mormon Name" Utah Evangel 31/8 (August 1984): 4.)

However, unfortunately for Messers. Smith and Martin, the name Alma is attested in ancient documents that were not available to Joseph Smith as a male name.

Matt Roper, a researcher at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute, explains:

"In the 1960s Israeli archaeologist Yigael Yadin discovered a land deed near the Dead Sea dating to the early second century A.D. and rendered the name of a Jew mentioned therein as "Alma ben Yehuda" showing for the first time in modern history that the name Alma was an authentic Hebrew male name. Additional research in Ebla, in what is modern Syria, has also turned up this name showing that it goes back to nearly 2200 B.C." (See here: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/
2001_Boomerang_Hits_and_the_Book_of_Mormon.html)

Another Latter-day Saint scholar, Terrence L. Szink, has shown further evidence that the name Alma is a perfectly good male name based on the Bar Kokhba letters, documents not discovered until the 20th century. Szink explains:

"The occurrences of ’lm’ and ’lmh in the Bar Kokhba letters, which chronologically follow Lehi's departure, and al6-ma at Ebla, which chronologically precede it, work together to provide fairly strong evidence that the personal name Alma could have been part of the cultural baggage that Lehi and his family took with them from Israel to the New World."

Szink then concludes:

"Certainly the critics' claim that Joseph Smith borrowed Alma from a Latin-based source is no longer the only possible explanation." (See here: http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=jbms&id=189)

In other words, the name Alma as a personal male name is attested anciently and is not a blunder for Joseph Smith. It is further evidence for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and the claims of Joseph Smith the Seer.

Murmuring in the Wilderness (1 Nephi 16 Part III)

34 And it came to pass that ^aIshmael died, and was buried in the place which was called ^bNahom.

The family had passed through their first major trial in the desert, and now one of the joint patriarchs of the combined families, Ishmael, is called out of this world into the next. The family, grief stricken and mourning, bury him in a place called Nahom.

As Steve Smoot explained in his excellent post on this subject, this event is one of the best and earliest indicators that Joseph Smith was not a fraud.

Here is a map of the probable route of Lehi through the Arabian Peninsula.


View Larger Map

Here is a video for more explanation and visuals that really illustrate the impact of this information.



The name "Nahom" corresponds directly to the situation and place as Nephi describes it as well as to a place and its purpose in our day. As with all proofs given of the Book of Mormon, critics have endeavored to attack even this plain evidence of authenticity. However, those objections have been adequately debunked as well.

Yet again, we see how fragile the faith of Laman and Lemuel can be as they turn this potentially faith-building event into more cause to complain. In other words, they could have turned to the scriptures and to the teachings of the prophets to try to understand death and what it means to be mortal vs. immortal. They could have mediated upon the promises the Lord had made to them numerous times before. They could have prayed for strength to overcome their sadness and to gain hope of better things to come. The could have served the grieving family members with love and compassion.

Instead, they turned against Lehi and Nephi and even threatened to kill them both. The irony of such desires as a consequence of mourning the death of Ishmael is alarming.

It is Satan's plan to compound our grief with even more grief, heaping on a good dose of vengeance.

It is God's plan that we overcome our grief with hope of salvation and exaltation, heaping on a good dose of forgiveness and humility to accept the tests and tasks He presents to us.

But all was not lost yet for Laman and Lemuel. Even with their threatenings and feelings of hatred and jealousy, they had not progressed so far down the path of unrighteousness as to merit being cut off. The Lord was still interested in recovering them and guiding them to repentance. Verse 39 states:

39 And it came to pass that the Lord was with us, yea, even the voice of the Lord came and did speak many words unto them, and did ^achasten them exceedingly; and after they were chastened by the voice of the Lord they did turn away their anger, and did repent of their sins, insomuch that the Lord did bless us again with food, that we did not perish.

As with all things in the Book of Mormon, we are invited to apply these events to our own lives and see what parallels there may be. If we take the time to do that, we can avoid many of the pitfalls that plagued Laman and Lemuel. Consequently, we can reap the blessings and spirituality that came to Nephi and those who were righteous and didn't murmur.

Murmuring in the Wilderness (1 Nephi 16 Part II)

We now enter into a new phase of the journey of Lehi's family to the promised land. His sons are married to Ishmael's daughters and Lehi is comforted by the fact that the Lord is happy with his having kept the commandments given them thus far.

But the tests are just beginning for them.

One morning, as Lehi left his tent, he saw on the ground "a round ball of curious workmanship". Nephi states that it was made of brass and that within it were two spindles, one of which pointed which way they should go into the wilderness.

There has been much speculation on the construction, design, and inner workings of this artifact, but spiritually speaking, we are to find as we read on that only one thing was important about it.

As they struck camp and headed out into the wilderness to a place called Shazer, and then later through some more "fertile parts of the wilderness" in the borders near the Read Sea, they hunted game and were able to obtain food using a bow and arrows and stones and slings.

Nephi reports that, on one hunting excursion, his bow broke. His family was extremely upset with this misfortune because Laman and Lemuel's bows had both lost their spring. That, in turn, meant that their ability to feed a large number of people was greatly reduced. Because Nephi's bow was made of "fine steel" (see 2 Sam. 22: 35 for a biblical reference to steel that predates Nephi), it was not likely that they would come across a replacement anytime soon.

Everyone began to murmur against the Lord. Even Lehi.

Nephi began to try to teach them to trust in the Lord, but they wouldn't listen. Talking to them wasn't going to accomplish much, so Nephi led by example, making a new bow out of wood and an arrow out of a stick, and then gathered stones and made a sling. Then he went to his father and asked, "Whither shall I go to obtain food?"

This question must have been startling and somewhat humbling to Lehi, who had so recently been complaining and murmuring against the Lord. Here was his 3rd-born son now asking him to go to the Lord and ask for a revelation about where best to hunt for food. Only after Lehi had repented did the Lord speak to him, saying, "Look upon the ball, and behold the things which are written."

Indeed, there upon the ball were written words stating where they should go and the spindle pointed the direction. Nephi went hunting according to those directions and was able to bring back food for the family, who gave thanks to the Lord for what He had done for them.

Regardless of what the ball was or looked like, Nephi, Lehi, and the family learned one great truth that would help them in the future...the Lord blesses us when we have faith in Him. Whether it is through some physical phenomenon we can see, or through a more spiritual manifestation, God is eager to speak to us and guide us if only we will prepare ourselves to hear His voice.

The Place Which was Called Nahom

The first book in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi) details, among other things, the challenges that Nephi and his family had to face while traveling through the Arabian desert. The hardships in the desert became so severe, in fact, that one member - a man named Ishmael - died. Nephi indicates that Ishmael was buried "in the place which was called Nahom" (1 Nephi 16:34).

This bit of information in the Book of Mormon constitutes one of its strongest evidences of authenticity. There are three points to this.

1. The root of the name Nahom - NHM (remember, there are no vowels in Hebrew) - means "consolation" or "to be sorry, console oneself." How appropriate that Ishmael was buried at a location that had a name such as this. Also, how appropriate that the daughters of Ishmael, following the old Bedouin tradition of mourning, choose here to proclaim their lamentations for the loss of their father (1 Nephi 16:35-36).
Of all the names that Joseph Smith could have choosen for the name of the place that Ishmael was buried if he was the author of the text, how did he know to pick such a befitting title? Joseph did not begin to learn Hebrew until 5 years after the publication of the Book of Mormon.

2. In the late 1990's, a team of non-LDS German archaeologists discovered a group of limestone altars in the Nehem region of southern Arabia. On these altars was inscribed the name NHM, which can be constructed as Nehem/Naham/Nahom. These altars are older than the time in which Nephi says Ishmael was buried (circa 600-592 BCE) which shows that Nephi was strictly correct to note that Ishmael's burial site "was called" Nahom, since the location was older than the time of Nephi's narrative.

3. Nephi indicates that he and his family, after entombing Ishmael at Nahom, traveled "nearly eastward" (1 Nephi 17:1) until they hit the land that Nephi and his family named Bountiful, where Nephi built his ship that would take him and his family to the New World. Latter-day Saint scholars have shown that the most likely candidate for Nephi's "Bountiful" - a location today known as Khor Khafot - is indeed a simple eastward trek from Nahom, thus proving that Nephi's record is in strict accord with Arabian geography.

These three elements create an impressive evidence for the Book of Mormon's authenticity. There is no evidence that Joseph Smith was familiar with pre-Islamic Arabian geography, which makes him and unlikely author of the text of 1 Nephi. The only person who could have written it is someone who had a familiar understanding with Arabian geography (i.e. Nephi).

However, despite this impressive bullseye for the Book of Mormon (and there is plenty more from Arabia that I did not cover which are also impressive evidences for the Book of Mormon), it cannot be stressed enough that the ultimate proof for the Book of Mormon is the witness of the Spirit of its truthfulness (Moroni 10:4-5) which comes from personal revelation from the Lord through the Holy Ghost.

For further reading, consult the following:

"New Light from Arabia on Lehi's Trail" by S. Kent Brown (http://farms.byu.edu/publications/bookschapter.php?bookid=8&chapid=61)

"Lehi's Arabian Journey Updated" by Noel B. Reynolds (http://farms.byu.edu/publications/bookschapter.php?bookid=41&chapid=195)

"Lehi in the Desert" by Hugh W. Nibley (http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/booksmain.php?bookid=59)

"Through the Arabian Desert to a Bountiful Land: Could Joseph Smith have Known the Way?" in Book of Mormon Authorship: New Light on Ancient Origins by Eugene England

"New Light: "The Place That Was Called Nahom": New Light from Ancient Yemen" by S. Kent Brown (http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=jbms&id=187)

"Bountiful and Nahom in the Arabian Peninsula" by Jeff Lindsay (http://www.jefflindsay.com/BMEvidences.shtml#geography)

The Wicked Take the Truth to Be Hard (1 Nephi 16 Part I)

Despite Nephi having urged his brothers to pray to know the truth of what he and their father Lehi had been teaching them from the beginning of this journey, Laman and Lemuel continue to protest being taught.

1 Nephi 16:1

And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.

Notice that even they admit that the things they were told were "hard things" and "more than we are able to bear", not that they were necessarily false. This is one of those scriptures that speaks volumes about our own period in history, where good is called evil and evil is called good. One need only open the newspaper, or a magazine, or turn on the television or surf the Web to see that the things that were once considered decent, and a high-water mark of civilized society are now being called evil, selfish, and indulgent practices.

Take, for example, the erstwhile ideal of having large families. It used to be that a large family was considered a blessing, even a necessity in keeping family businesses, farms, and other economies thriving. When a person mentioned to an acquaintance that he/she had eight children, they received congratulations and were afforded a certain amount of respect. However, I know from my own experience (and hearing that of others) that this is no longer the case. Mention that you have more than one child and you're likely to get stares of disapproval, or even outright rude comments such as, "Well, I certainly hope you're finished now."

On the other hand, things like pornography, drug abuse, violence, gossip, taking advantage of another person to get rich, etc. are all acceptable, even respectable facets of our society. Not that they didn't exist before, but at least there was a healthy dose of stigma attached to them.

In the early history of America you could cause a man to feel real shame when you confronted him with a sin or transgression he was committing against God, himself, his family, and humanity. Try confronting, say, a pornography purveyor today with the real-world, heartbreaking consequences of his business and you will be laughed off as being out of touch with "what the people want" and "good business" and "market forces". As if being popular and rich were a virtue rather than a tipping point for being ripe for destruction.

That is the state in which we find Laman and Lemuel. The good news, at least in the short term, is that they accept Nephi's truth-telling and realize they need to repent.

Prayer as a Commandment (1 Nephi 15)

After Nephi had received this vision, he had to come back to the harsh realities of this world, for his brothers, Laman and Lemuel, despite their previous experiences with angels and God's protection, were still not believers in revelation from God.

Nephi relates that his brothers came to him with many questions about what he and their father, Lehi, had seen.

3 For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be ^aunderstood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.

They told Nephi that they couldn't understand what Lehi and Nephi were telling them about natural branches of an olive tree, a rod of iron, a tree with fruit, and a filthy river. Nephi was direct in asking them, "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"

"We have not;" they said, "for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us."

Nephi responded, "How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?"

In other words, they had been taught, correctly, that asking God is a commandment whenever we are in doubt or are confused about anything at all. It's not something to be treated lightly or tossed aside because of our unbelief or doubts. We have an obligation to approach God and ask Him for wisdom.

This is the principle problem with the Book of Mormon. Not that the book itself has problems, but that people will renounce it out of hand, after reading just a few pages, by declaring it unreadable, boring, difficult to understand.

What they really mean is that they don't understand or don't want to comply with the commandment from God to "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt. 7:7)

How is it done? Through prayer! When we feel that we should not pray to know the truth of something, we are paying more attention to the devil than we are to God. For, "if ye would hearken unto the ^aSpirit which teacheth a man to ^bpray ye would know that ye must ^cpray; for the ^devil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray."

Alma, a prophet we will read about in a later book, taught:

Alma 34:17-27

17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your ^afaith unto repentance, that ye begin to ^bcall upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is ^amighty to save.

19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in ^aprayer unto him.

20 Cry unto him when ye are in your ^afields, yea, over all your flocks.

21 ^aCry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your ^aenemies.

23 Yea, ^acry unto him against the ^bdevil, who is an enemy to all ^crighteousness.

24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.

26 But this is not all; ye must ^apour out your souls in your ^bclosets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your ^ahearts be ^bfull, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your ^cwelfare, and also for the welfare of ^dthose who are around you.

It is a theme that is repeated frequently in scripture.

1. Matt. 21: 22
   22 And all ^athings, whatsoever ye shall ^bask in ^cprayer, believing, ye shall receive.
2. John 16: 24
   24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ^aask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
3. James 4: 3
   3 Ye ^aask, and receive not, because ye ^bask ^camiss, that ye may ^dconsume it upon your ^elusts.
4. 1 Jn. 3: 22
   22 And whatsoever we ^aask, we receive of him, because we ^bkeep his ^ccommandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
5. Enos 1: 15
   15 Wherefore, I knowing that the Lord God was able to ^apreserve our records, I cried unto him continually, for he had said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
6. Mosiah 4: 21
   21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive...
7. 3 Ne. 18: 20
   20 And ^awhatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
8. 3 Ne. 27: 29
   29 Therefore, ^aask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
9. Moro. 7: 26
   26 And after that he came men also were ^asaved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the ^bsons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: ^cWhatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.
10. Moro. 10: 4
    4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ^aask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not ^btrue; and if ye shall ask with a ^csincere heart, with ^dreal intent, having ^efaith in Christ, he will ^fmanifest the ^gtruth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
11. D&C 35: 9
    9 And whoso shall ask it in my name in ^afaith, they shall ^bcast out ^cdevils; they shall heal the ^dsick; they shall cause the blind to receive their ^esight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk.
12. D&C 50: 31
    31 Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that if you behold a ^aspirit manifested that you cannot understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus; and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you may know that it is not of God.
13. D&C 66: 9
    9 Lay your ^ahands upon the ^bsick, and they shall ^crecover. Return not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. ^dAsk, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
14. D&C 88: 63
    63 ^aDraw ^bnear unto me and I will draw near unto you; ^cseek me diligently and ye shall ^dfind me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
15. Moses 6: 52
    52 And he also said unto him: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be ^abaptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of ^bgrace and truth, which is Jesus ^cChrist, the only ^dname which shall be given under heaven, whereby ^esalvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, asking all things in his name, and whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be given you.

It is clear from these and many other passages what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to talk to Him and ask Him for wisdom.

Will you ask God whether what you are reading in the Book of Mormon is true?

Gentiles in America and the Conditions of the Last Days (1 Nephi 14)

Nephi learns what the Gentiles need to do to stay in favor with God while inhabiting the lands of the Americas. The requirements are simple. The Gentiles:

• shall hearken unto the Lamb of God
• [shall] harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God
• [shall] repent

The blessings they will receive for their faithfulness are great.

• taking away of their stumbling blocks
• they shall be numbered among the house of Israel
• they shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever
• they shall be no more brought down into captivity
• the house of Israel shall no more be confounded
• that great pit which hath been digged for the destruction of men shall be filled by those who digged it, unto their utter destruction

Nephi is taught about a "marvelous work and a wonder" that God would bring to pass around the time that the Gentiles immigrate to the Americas. This work would be as the dividing of the wheat from the tares, the sheep from the goats, "either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil".

Nephi is reminded of the part of the vision he saw wherein there was a great and abominable church, representing the world at large, or anything or anyone that fights against the kingdom of God. In comparison to that church, the kingdom of God on the earth would be very small.

Nephi sees the great and abominable church gather against the seemingly small church of God, who were scattered across all the earth and armed with righteousness. God, seeing this imbalance, pours out wars and rumors of wars among those of the church of the devil. At the beginning of all of this conflict, the work of God commences, "preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel."

At this point, Nephi is shown a man, who is identified as one of the "twelve apostles of the Lamb" who would write down everything that would happen in those days of wars and conflict. This is obviously whom we know to be John the Revelator, who wrote the Book of Revelations in the Bible. Others also wrote the visions they were given of the same happenings, but those records were sealed up to be revealed later, when God decides to reveal them. The brother of Jared, mentioned in the Book of Ether in the Book of Mormon, wrote one of these accounts which makes up the sealed portion of the gold plates Joseph Smith received, but was not permitted to translate. Even though Nephi is allowed to see all of those things, he is not allowed to write them himself because it is not part of his mission.

At this point Nephi's vision ends. Who can doubt that we live in these times that Nephi foresaw? During what age of the world's history have we had such a density of conflicts between worldly organizations and the kingdom of God? When have the righteous been more persecuted and martyred on such a global scale? Think of the Holocaust, and those that continue to follow it in diverse parts of the globe. It is the mark of a desperate enemy of God who knows he has little time to hinder God's work of restoring the Gospel to all the earth.

Which church do you belong to? The one which supports God's work, or the one that fights against it? Look at all of your beliefs, affiliations, alliances, and practices and ask yourself whether they help or hinder those who are trying to build up God's kingdom.