Quote:
Originally Posted by Ferris
I agree that the timetables cannot be rectified, but at the very minimum, it could be taken as a sign that the Jaredites ~6000 BC or the Nephites/Lamanites ~1000 BC, COULD possibly have made the trip.
This is less a pure religious argument as it is disputing the fact that ALL migrants came from the straights, as evidence currently only proves for North America. There is no trail south however.
If the timetable in the article is assumed to be correct, am I to understand that there may have already been people in the region when both groups arrived? Does the Book of Mormon mention anyone, or is that unclear?
PS: this wiki is a veritable wealth of information on the topic of Mormon archeology. |
I don't know if the BOM mentions anything specifically, but there are many LDS scholars who look at the BOM in a way similar to the Old Testament - a record written by a relatively small group of people in a widely populated geographic area. If you read some of the evidences on
JeffLindsay.com - The Cracked Planet: Humor, Education, Mormons and Mormon Studies, Science, and Eclectic Items from Jeff Lindsay of Appleton, Wisconsin you'll read that the Olmecs (one small group of central americans) fit the timescale given by the BOM for the Jaredites, and that the stories of other groups in the area describe the Olmecs as arriving by boat.
This particular archeological find doesn't support or deny the BOM in my opinion, but it's still interesting
