How True do you think the Book of Mormon is?

[All-American]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Christ in America and Ancient America Speaks were a centerpiece of our discussions in Ecuador. Those films weren't just about the Book of Mormon saying Christ visiting America. They had drawings of Hawaiian natives falling down and worshiping Capt. Cook, Mayan hyrogliphs allegedly showing a white god coming down from the sky to visit them, etc., etc. This was supposedly empirical proof the Book of Mormon was true. Hyerdahl tremendously influenced development of this argument. Here is a link to a conference talk by Apostle Peterson from those days (he talks about Christ being a "white God"; as if Christ looked like a European):

http://www.lds-mormon.com/christ_i.shtml

Here is a missionary brochure from those days (see the picture of the Hawaiian natives adoring Captain Cook a ways down the brochure):

http://members.tripod.com/~ronniesim/book_of_mormon.htm

All this stuff was adapted from Hyerdahl's phony science whether Mormons knew it or not.

Peterson does cite a lot of other phony science.

.

Adoring. Looks more like a high five to me.

This is no "missionary brochure from those days," SU. This is a web site put up by one guy who doesn't seem to be doing so under direction of the church-- hardly an official publication.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

No, I don't remember "Christ in America", but I do remember (vaguely) a filmstrip titled "Ancient America Speaks". Score yourself a point on that one. But I can guarantee you that there was nothing on that topic in the official version of the missionary discussions that I was instucted to teach for two years.

I was instructed to buy those two films at the LTM (MTC) before I left for Ecuador. They were made by the LDS Church for missionaries. See my links as proof that this stuff was taught by apostles and Church publications.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Christ in America and Ancient America Speaks were a centerpiece of our discussions in Ecuador. Those films weren't just about the Book of Mormon saying Christ visiting America. They had drawings of Hawaiian natives falling down and worshiping Capt. Cook, Mayan hyrogliphs allegedly showing a white god coming down from the sky to visit them, etc., etc. This was supposedly empirical proof the Book of Mormon was true. Hyerdahl tremendously influenced development of this argument. Here is a link to a conference talk by Apostle Peterson from those days (he talks about Christ being a "white God"; as if Christ looked like a European):

http://www.lds-mormon.com/christ_i.shtml

Here is a missionary brochure from those days (see the picture of the Hawaiian natives adoring Captain Cook a ways down the brochure):

http://members.tripod.com/~ronniesim/book_of_mormon.htm

All this stuff was adapted from Hyerdahl's phony science whether Mormons knew it or not.

Peterson does cite a lot of other phony science.

I saw those filmstrips or films I forget which when we were being taught, but my recollection was not that it was "empirical evidence" but that myths suggested the possibility of Christ in America being gently confirmed by Aztec legend and myth. Let's not overstate what those filmstrips stated.

The evidence I found upon very quick and dirty Aztec legend searches shows that those myths did exist and aided the Spanish in conquering a vast empire in the Valley of Mexico.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

No, I don't remember "Christ in America", but I do remember (vaguely) a filmstrip titled "Ancient America Speaks". Score yourself a point on that one. But I can guarantee you that there was nothing on that topic in the official version of the missionary discussions that I was instucted to teach for two years.

Nor did it ever become "a major portion" of the discussions. That was SU Kyleperboly. And what's up with using Wikipedia as an authoritative source?

We used to show "Ancient America Speaks" or those other slide shows when either we weren't prepared or the investigator wasn't progressing. I bet the Japanese were thinking, "Huh? Huh? Huh?"

I will give SU his due in that I do recall Hyerdahl getting a very good hearing along the Wasatch Front. I remember my dad talking about his theories and journey and watching his first film on TV. That said, he really didn't have a very big impact on LDS thought other than providing faith-promoting "proof" for the veracity of the BofM.

SU asked for a flyspeck or mustard seed and got one. We could throw out more such small indications, but I suspect they would be summarily rejected. If he was honest with himself, SU would state that what he really wants is a whole lasagna.

[Archaea]

Peterson cited Paul Herrman who published his Conquest by Man in 1954. How is that linked to Hyerdahl?

Do you know if they ever spoke and it seems to predate Hyerdahl on any of these except maybe the Kon Tiki expeditions.

I'm doing research on Pierre Honore, who doesn't appear to be a descendant of Hyerdahl either.

http://www.webb.com/Starfire/native.html

It looks as if you've stepped into a big one here. You probably should stay with your Roman and Western Civs, as Mesoamerica may not be your strong suit.

[fusnik11]

Is there an apologetic response to the maps I posted and the name similarities in BOM city names?

Originally Posted by Solon

All of the modern names are places within 500 miles of Palmyra, New York:

Modern-------Book of Mormon

St. Agathe-------Ogath
Alma-------Alma
Angola-------Angola
Boaz-------Boaz
Conner-------Comner
St. Ephrem-------Ephraim
Jacobsburg-------Jacobugath
Jordan-------Jordan
Jerusalem-------Jerusalem
Kish-kiminetas-------Kishkumen
Lehigh-------Lehi
Mantua-------Manti
Monroe-------Moroni
Oneida-------Onidah
Omer-------Omner
Rama-------Ramah
Sodom-------Sidom
Shiloh-------Shilom
Tenecum-------Teancum

[il Padrino Ute]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

Is there an apologetic response to the maps I posted and the name similarities in BOM city names?

Yes.

Seattle has corrupted you.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

Look, Indy's the one who introduced Hyerdahl here, linking that article, for his "mustard seed."

Heyerdahl or not, there is a striking resemblance in the construct of the reed boats in the Old and New World, something that I find very UNLIKELY to have been developed independently of each other with such similarities.

SU's harping on the alleged deification of Heyerdahl by Mormons 30 years ago is just a lengthy dodge of the mustard seed I tried to give him.

[Mormon Red Death]

Originally Posted by SeattleUte

That's my point. You thought Quetzaquatl was Christ in America. All that Quetzaquatl stuff came from Hyerdahl.

Bull shit..

[MikeWaters]

About the names of places....the number of places in a given area is truly staggering. Texas by itself has so many tiny towns and hamlets that I probably would not recognize 75% of them.

Someone should go through the exercise of matching BoM names with Texas towns. I think you'd be surprised that I bet the same argument could be made.

People will fire arrows at the BoM from afar, because they known they can't do hand to hand combat. They know that they have no real explanation for it.

Has SU even ventured his opinion as to its origins? The BoM rings true on its own.