1. Witnesses of the Book of Mormon
2. Another Testament of Jesus Christ
3. Book of Mormon Prophecy
4. Historical Accuracy of the Book of Mormon
5. Book of Mormon Geography
6. Book of Mormon Culture
7. Names used in the Book of Mormon
8. Book of Mormon Literacy
9. Ancient American Science
10. Warfare in the Book of Mormon

Claim: With over one hundred million copies of the Book of Mormon circulating throughout the world in ninety-four different languages, it is now one of the most famous and influential books ever published in America. Some fifteen thousand copies of the Book are printed each day. (See Ensign, May 2000, p. 112.)

Evidence: Franklin S. Harris noted the following in The Book of Mormon Message and Evidence, (1961), p. 7.:

"In The spring of 1946, in New York City, the Grolier Club selected and exhibited 100 books, published before 1900, which most influenced the life and culture of the American people (New York Times Book Review, April 21, 1946). These were such books as The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin; Noah Webster’s An American Dictionary; … Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address; and The Book of Mormon, which was given to the world by Joseph Smith in 1830. This recognition of the influence of the Book of Mormon recalls a letter written by the late Charles H. Hull, Professor of American History, Cornell University (Millennial Star [1972], vol. 89 p. 682.)

He wrote: “I am perfectly willing to say to anyone that I suppose the Book of Mormon to be one of the most famous and widely discussed books ever published in America. I think an arguable case can be made for the assertion that it is the most famous and widely discussed book ever first published in America."

More recently, an Associated Press release from Washington dated November 20, 1991, announced that The Book of Mormon tied with 2 other books for sixth place in a nationwide reader survey on what book made the big­gest difference in their lives. The survey had been mailed to a random sample of five thousand book club mem­bers-of which 1032 responded. Readers mentioned altogether 935 book titles. This is highly signi­fi­cant con­sider­ing that only one percent of the United States is Latter-day Saint. At a symposium of the Library of Congress it was announced that survey respondents said their book choices had enhanced their intel­lect­ual or spiritual understanding of life. (See Deseret News, November 21, 1991, [Salt Lake City, Utah], p. 41.)

Claim: The Book of Mormon teaches the true relationship between grace and works. “For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do.” (2 Nephi 25:23.)

Evidence: Grace is divine help and is offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ. It is through the grace of the Savior, made possible by His atoning sacrifice, that mankind will be resurrect­ed. Additionally, through individual faith in Christ, the grace of God gives to faithful Christians the strength and assistance necessary to do the works which are required for salvation. “And remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved” (2 Nephi 10:25). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints clearly teaches that man cannot merit nor earn his own salvation. In fact, the Book of Mormon teaches that “since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself” (Alma 22:14). Indeed the word earn does not appear anywhere in the cannon of LDS scripture. The word merit occurs eight times in the scriptures, however, each time it is mentioned, it refers to “the merits of him who is mighty to save”-Jesus Christ (2 Nephi 2:8; 31:19; Mosiah 2:19; Alma 22:14; 24:10; Helaman 14:13; Moroni 6:4; and D&C 3:20). “There can be nothing which is short of an infinite atone­ment which will suffice for the sins of the world” (Alma 34:8-16). Salvation and exaltation are an inheritance from our Father in Heaven-the greatest gift of God (D&C 14:7). All our good works cannot compare to the grace provided by our Savior, Jesus Christ. But, insignificant as they are, good works are necessary as a token of our belief in the Savior. (See also Dallin H. Oaks, "What Think Ye of Christ?" Ensign, November 1988, p. 67.)

The Book of Mormon further clarifies that “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God” (2 Nephi 31:20-21).

Claim: The Book of Mormon prophesied that America is reserved for those who worship God (2 Nephi 1:6-7).

Evidence: While modern-day detractors constantly strive to rewrite history and discredit our founding fathers, the fact remains that the founders of this great nation were deeply devoted to the God of Israel. See for example, One Nation Under God, America’s Christian Heritage, (Christian Defense Fund: Springfield, Virginia 1997); Verna M. Hall, The Christian History of the Constitution of the Unites States of America, (California: Foundation for American Christian Education, 1978); W. Cleon Skousen, The Making of America, (Washington DC, 1985); Jay A. Parry, Andrew M. Allison and Skousen, The Real George Washington, (National Center for Constitutional Studies [NCCS]: Washington DC, 1991); Allison, Skousen & M. R. Maxfield, The Real Benjamin Franklin, (NCCS, 1987), Allison, Maxfield, K. D. Cook & Skousen, The Real Thomas Jefferson, (NCCS, 1983).

Not only did our founding fathers reverence God, but the percentage of US citizens affiliated with a church has steadily risen since this nation was established. Recent surveys show that more than 90 percent of Americans profess a belief in God; 63 percent of the population claim church memberships, more than half say they pray at least once a day, and 44 percent of the adult population attend weekly worship services. Each of these figures are more than any other highly-developed country. A recent Gallup survey found that: “while most survey respond­ents hold staunchly to the view that one can be a good and ethical person without believing in God, a solid majority (61 percent) say that a democracy cannot survive without a widespread belief in God or a Supreme Being.” It further reports that “A substantial majority believe that they will be called before God at Judgment Day to answer for their sins. Americans overwhelmingly attest to a belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, although what is meant by ‘divinity’ varies … Only three out of every 100 Americans say their lives have not been touched at all by Jesus Christ.”

Not only is the faith of Americans strong, but this survey also found that those who belong to a church are significant­ly more charit­able with their time and money than those who do not. Moreover, the study found that “as we look at other countries, we generally see an inverse correlation between levels of religious commitment and levels of edu­cation. The more highly educated a country's populace is, the less religiously committed and participating it is. The United States is unique in that we have at the same time a high level of religious belief and a high level of formal education.” (See George Gallup, Jr., Religion in America: Will the Vitality of Churches be the Surprise of the Next Century?,” The Public Perspective, [1995, The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research]. Reprinted by United States Infor­mation Service-Israel, March 23, 1997, [usis-israel.org.il/publish/journals/society/march97/ gallup.htm]; See also Christian Daily News, Dec. 12, 1997, [www.christian­news.org/archives/1997/121297/news/ full.html]; “Church and State,” American Civil Liberties Union Briefing Paper Number 3, [aclu.org/lib­rary/pbp3.html]; Roger Finke and Rodney Stark, The Churching of America, [New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1992], paper 1993; George Gallup, and Tim Jones, The Saints Among Us, [Richfield, CT: Morehouse Publishing, 1992].)

Claim: The Book of Mormon is the translation of sacred records about ancestors of some of the American Indians, which was handed down from one prophet to the next (usually from father to son), and eventually buried in the earth to come forth many hundreds of years later. (See preface to the Book of Mormon.) The teachings of Jesus Christ (that were personally delivered to the Mesoamericans after his crucifixion and resurrection in Palestine) are the central message of the Book of Mormon. (See 3 Nephi 11-30.)

Joseph Smith testified that he unearthed the gold plates from which he translated the Book of Mormon, hundreds of years after it had been hidden by an ancient prophet of God (Joseph Smith-History 1:51-52, 59-62, 67-68).

Evidence: According to Peter DeRoo, the Otomis tribe tells of a “Divine Book” which had been handed down from father to son and guarded by persons of importance. The natives claim that it told of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is said that out of reverence, the Indians did not touch it with their hands but turned its pages with a small stick. They say that the book perished in the ground where its guardians had buried it. (See Peter DeRoo, America Before Columbus, [New York: J. P. Lippincott Co., 1900], p. 425, cited in Cheesman, The World of the Book of Mormon, p. 6.)

In the Popol Vuh, the sacred record of the Quiché Maya of Guatemala it is written that “we shall write now under the Law of God … we shall bring it to light because [the original record] … cannot be seen any more, in which was clearly seen the coming from the other side of the sea. The original book, written long ago, existed, but its sight is hidden to the searcher and to the thinker.” (See Delia Goetz and Sylvannus G. Morley, Popol Vuh, English translation by Adrian Recinos, [University of Oklahoma Press: Norman, 1950], pp. 79-80.)

This hidden record contained a history of the creation of the world, much of which was preserved in the Popol Vuh. See the evidence regarding THE CREATION recorded in a hidden book in the chapter “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” included in this same volume.

Claim: During the eight years that Lehi’s party traveled in the wilderness, and also during the time their ship was under construction, they surely had opportunities to share the gospel message with local residents. Most of their time in the wilderness was spent tarrying “for the space of a time” (1 Nephi 16:17, 33)-which must have been several months at each location, in order for them to take eight years to arrive at the coast (1 Nephi 17:4).

Knowing that Nephi was exceptionally diligent and obedient to the Lord, we should expect to find that, like Lehi, he too left his mark along the way as he followed his father’s example of missionary labor. Indeed, in a revela­tion given to the prophet Joseph Smith, the latter-day missionaries were told: “Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness” (D&C 33:8). This makes a clear reference to Nephi’s missionary efforts while in the wilderness. Thus it would not be surprising to find the name of Nephi preserved as a legendary hero in the secular history of Arabia.

Evidence: In al-Ula, not far from the proposed route of Lehi’s travel, (see map above), is found a Lihyanite inscrip­tion carved in stone next to a tomb bearing the word NFY for the personal name of Nephi. With these consonants, Arabs usually insert the vowels “A” and “I” to read Nafi. (See F. V. Winnett and W. L. Reed, Ancient Records from North Arabia, [University of Toronto Press, 1970] inscription 6:42; reprinted in Hilton, Discover­ing Lehi, [1996], p. 87.)

Furthermore, the name of Nephi can be found in the local geography. Within an eight-hour drive from Yanbu, lies the rural town of Nafee. In the Jeddah phone book, there are 27 families listed with the name of al-Nafi. (See Hilton, Discovering Lehi, [1996], pp. 78, 87, 89.)

Claim: The Book of Mormon asserts that at least some of the ancient American settlers crossed the ocean in ships (1 Nephi 17-18; Omni 1:15-22; Ether 6). Most anthropologists have held to the theory that all ancestors of the American aborigines migrated by foot from Asia during the time when the sea level was lower and the Bering Land Bridge connected Alaska to Siberia. Thus for many years critics have mocked the Book of Mormon for making such an unsubstantiated claim concerning the migrations of the ancient Americans. More recently, however, several leading authorities on the subject have accumulated a large body of evidence supporting the possibility that ancient travelers could have migrated to the Americas from across the ocean.

Evidence: The Mayas believed that their civilization originated across the sea. Brinton noted that: “The Mayas did not pretend to be autochthonous, but claimed that their ancestors came from distant regions in two bands. The largest and most ancient immigration was from the East, across or rather through the ocean-for the gods had opened twelve paths through it-and this was conducted by the mythical Itzamna. The second band, less in number and later in time, came in from the West, and with them was Kukulcan. The former was called the Great Arrival, the latter, the Less Arrival.” (Brinton, American Hero Myths [1882] pp. 145, 146; quoted in Harris, Book of Mormon Message and Evidence [1961], p. 70.)

Another source indicates that: “Some of the old people of Yucatan say that they have heard from their ancestors that this land was occupied by a race of people, who came from the East and whom God had delivered by opening twelve paths through the sea.” (Diego de Landa, Relación de las Cosas de Yucatán, translated by Alfred M. Tozzer, Harvard University, Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology Papers, [Cambridge: Peabody Museum, 1941], vol. 18, p. 16, see also p. 214. Both of the above sources are quoted in Harris, Book of Mormon Message and Evidence [1961], pp. 70-72.)

The Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Ancient Quiche Maya, also confirms that the earliest settlers came from across the sea. “We shall bring it to light because now the Popol Vuh, as it is called, cannot be seen any more, in which was clearly seen the coming from the other side of the sea and the narration of our obscurity…The original book, written long ago, existed, but its sight is hidden to the searcher and the thinker.” (Delia Goetz & Sylvanus Morley, Popol Vuh, [Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1950], pp. 79-80.)

Similarly, the Aztecs claimed that their ancestors arrived in ships. (See Guy E. Powell, Latest Aztec Discoveries, [San Antonio: Naylor Co., 1967], p. 45; Francis C. Kelly, Blood Drenched Altars, [Milwaukee: Bruce Pub. Co., 1935], p. 38. See also Karl Sapper, Forschchungen Und Fortschritte, [November 1, 1939], p. 81,. p. 45. p. 38; Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi [New York: Ballentine Books, 1969], p. 31; Sahagun, A History of Ancient America, pp. 190-192. The above sources are also cited in Harris, Book of Mormon Message and Evidences, [1961], p. 65; and Cheesman, The World of the Book of Mormon, [1978] pp. 2, 3, 15.)

Claim: Great writers, such as Shakespeare, are lauded for their ability to introduce new and unique names into their works. Not so with Joseph Smith. Critics who have suspected that he fabricated the Book of Mormon have accused him of “letting his fancy run free.” They have said that the strange names in his book are not authentic. However, below are listed a number of names with documentation from non-Mormon scholars who have found that the names are authentic after all, and were common to the various cultures from which the Book of Mormon peoples emigrated. Indeed, many of the newly discovered names carry the same or similar meaning as expressed in the Book of Mormon. In each case, the findings were documented many years after the Book of Mormon was first published. …

Evidence: For example, two righteous brothers referred to as Jared and “the brother of Jared” led the Jaredites to the Promised Land of America. These two prophets petitioned the Lord at the time of the confounding of the languages to allow them and their people to continue to speak their native tongue (Ether 1:33-37). The name of the brother of Jared is not given in the Book of Mormon. The authenticity of the Book of Mormon is verified by the recent discovery of this same story in ancient tradition.

According to a Mandaen tradition, when the human race was broken up into different tongues, after the world had been purged, there were two righteous brothers whose language was not changed: Ram and his brother Rud. Both names are contractions, Rud is short for Jared, and Ram is from some unknown name. The legend goes on to say that these two men led a migration to the east, founded “a race of mankind” and were never heard of again. Robert Eisler points out that Ram means “high” and Rud means “wanderer”, as does the name Jared. See Robert Eisler, Iesous Basileus ou Basileusas, vol. 2, p. 109, n. 1, cf. 180; Ethel S. Drower, The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, pp. 22-23, 132; both cited in Nibley, An Approach to the Book of Mormon, (1988), p. 333; and Nibley, Since Cumorah, (1988), p. 274.

Claim: In the late 1820’s, Martin Harris persuaded Joseph Smith to copy a few lines of the reformed Egyptian characters as proof that the plates were genuine. These were the characters Harris showed to Professor Charles Anthon of Columbia College. When the anti-Mormons saw the transcript, some claimed that Smith’s characters were not reformed Egyptian but “deformed English.” However, modern studies have demonstrated that the characters copied from the plates by Joseph Smith are indeed authentic.

Evidence: A careful examination of the Anthon transcript has shown that the sequence of characters correlates with a portion of the Book of Mormon that tells of the Jaredite voyage to ancient America. Stanley and Polly Johnson have produced a translation of the Anthony transcript by comparing each character to similar hiero­glyphics in Egyptian, Polynesian and Native American cultures. A truly astonishing result of this tedious work was the discovery that the Anthon transcript correlates with Ether 6:3-13. (See Stanley Quenton and Polly Ivory Johnson, Translating the Anthon Transcript, [Parawan, Utah: Ivory Books, 1999].)

To effect this translation the authors drew upon such authorities as E. A. Wallis Budge, La Van Martineau, Ettie Rout, and Polly Sschaafsma. (See Budge, An Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary, [New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1978]; Martineau, The Rocks Begin to Speak, [Las Vegas: K. C. Publications, 1976]; Rout, Maori Symbolism, [London: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1926]; and Sschaafsma, Indian Rock of the Southwest, [Santa Fe: University of New Mexico Press, 1980].)

The fact that the Anthon characters provide a logical and meaningful flow of thought, from right to left (as Hebrew words are written), it remarkable, but the fact that they also match the actual wording in Ether 6:3-13 is truly astounding.

Claim: The Book of Mormon claims that around 46 BC Nephite settlers began migrating from the land of Zara­hemla to the north, where they began building cities with cement. “The people who went forth became exceed­ingly expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, … both of wood and of cement.” See Helaman 3:7-11.

Evidence: This claim has been the object of ridicule by critics of the Book of Mormon. They claim that any mention of cement in ancient American History is an anachronism-allegedly proving the Book of Mormon a hoax. Recent discoveries, however, have vindicated this claim and have provided solid evidence that the Book of Mormon is true. A few references which prove that the ancient Americans did indeed use cement include: Thompson, People of the Serpent, pp. 173-174; Gann, Ancient Cities, Modern Tribes, p. 114, cited in Nibley, Since Cumorah (1988), p. 254.

The following is quoted from a Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies Update, (May 1991), no. 76, p. 2:

Recent research shows that cement was in fact used in Mesoamerica beginning at this time. One of the most notable uses of cement is in the temple complex at Teotihuacán, north of present-day Mexico City. According to David S. Hyman, the use of cement appears suddenly in the archaeological record. Its earliest sample “is a fully developed product.” Where it came from remains obscure. The cement floor slabs at this site “were remarkably high in structural quality”; although exposed to the elements for nearly 2000 years, they still “exceed many present-day building code requirements” (David S. Hyman, A Study of the Calcareous Cements in Prehispanic Mesoamerican Building Construction [Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University, 1970], pp. ii, 6-7).

After its discovery, cement was used at many sites in the Valley of Mexico and in the Maya regions of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. It was used in the construction of buildings at such sites as Cerro de Texcotzingo, Tula, Palenque, Tikal, Copan, Uxmal, and Chichen Itza. Further, the use of cement “is a Maya habit, absent from non-Maya examples of corbelled vaulting from the south-eastern United States to southern South America” (George Kubler, The Art and Architecture of Ancient America, [Baltimore: Penguin, 1975], p. 201).

Mesoamerican cement was almost exclusively lime cement. The limestone was purified on a “cylind­rical pile of timber, which requires a vast amount of labor to cut and considerable skill to construct in such a way that combustion of the stone and wood is complete and a minimum of impurities remain in the product.” The fact that very little carbon is found in this cement “attests to the ability of these ancient peoples.” (See Tatiana Proskouriakoff, An Album of Maya Architecture, [Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1963], p. xv; Hyman, Calcareous Cement, [1970], pp. 6-5.)

John Sorenson further noted the expert sophistication in the use of cement at El Tajin, east of Mexico City, after Book of Mormon times. Cement roofs covered areas of 75 square meters! “Sometimes the builders filled a room with stones and mud, smoothed the surface on top to receive the concrete, then removed the interior fill when the [slab] on top had dried” (John Sorenson, “Digging Into the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, [October 1984], p. 18).

The presence of expert cement technology in prehispanic Mesoamerica is a remarkable archaeological fact. Cement first appears in Mesoamerican architecture very close to the time when the Book of Mormon says this development occurred. It is also a significant factor in locating the Book of Mormon lands of Zarahemla and Desolation, for Zarahemla must be south of areas where cement was used as early as the middle of the first century BC. Until samples of cement are found outside of the south­west areas of North America, one may reasonably assume that the Book of Mormon lands were not far to the south of these sites where early cement is found.

See also Matthew G. Wells and John W. Welch, Concrete Evidence for the Book of Mormon, Re-exploring the Book of Mormon, edited by John W. Welch, (1992) pp. 212-213.

Claim: During his speech to rally the people, Captain Moroni mentioned that a remnant of Joseph’s coat of many colors had been preserved as a symbol of a remnant of his (Joseph’s) seed which would also be preserved. The other decayed fragment had symbolized the apostate corruption of Israel (see Alma 46:23-6). These symbolisms were unknown to the Western world in Joseph Smith’s day but have since been well documented-providing additional evidence that Joseph Smith indeed translated the Book of Mormon by “the gift and power of God.”

Evidence: The modern discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls restored an ancient tradition that speaks of two fragments of the garment of Joseph. One was bloodstained and decayed and represented the corruption of Israel. The other fragment was freshly preserved through the centuries and represented the blessed remnant of Israel. (See Marc Philonenko, Les Interpolations Chretiennes des Testaments des Douze Patriarches et les Manuscrits de Qumran [Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1960], pp. 51-52.)

Other traces of the remnant of Joseph’s coat were found in the Thaclabi legend:

And when Joseph had made himself known unto them [his brethren] he asked them about his father, saying, “What did my father after [I left]?” They answered, “He lost his eyesight [from weeping].” Then he gave them his garment [qamis, long outer shirt]. According to ad-Dahak that garment was of the weave [pattern, design] of Paradise, and the breath [spirit, odor] of Paradise was in it, so that it never decayed or in any way deteriorated [and that was] a sign [omen]. And Joseph gave them that garment, and it was the very one that had belonged to Abraham, having already had a long history. (Kitab Qisas al-Anbiyá Thaclabi, [Cairo: Mustafa al-Babli al-Halabi wa-Awladuhu, 1314 A. H.], pp. 80-81, 96; cited in Nibley, Approach to the Book of Mormon, [1988], pp. 211-221.)

Thaclabi also mentions that Joseph’s torn garment had “three marks or tokens” in it. See also Marc Philonenko in Revue d’Histoire et de Philosophie Religieuses, vol. 39, (1959), p. 33.