DNA and the Book of Mormon

Deception 4

Joel Kramer and others in the movie state that all the Mormon leaders to include Joseph Smith have taught that The Book of Mormon Hebrew families that immigrated to the Americas were the first people in the Americas. Joel Kramer offers no direct quotes or references from any or all the Church leaders that supposedly taught this. In reverse, John L. Sorenson offers the following quotes and references of church leaders.

“Apostle Orson Pratt, one of the most vocal 19th century interpreters of The Book of Mormon, believed that since The Book of Mormon times “there (have been) many nations who have come here (before Columbus).”

“In 1909 Elder B.H. Roberts observed, “It is possible that Phoenician vessels might have visited some parts of America, as well as, perhaps, other settlers “by way of the Pacific Islands” or via the “Behring straits.”

“In the 5 April 1929 general conference of the church, Anthony W. Ivins, first counselor in the First Presidency, urged: “We must be careful in the conclusions that we reach. The Book of Mormon teaches the history of three distinct peoples…who came from the old world to this continent. It does not tell us that there was no one here before them. It does not tell us that people did not come after…. We do believe that other people came to this continent.”

Elder Widtsoe added in 1937, “There may also have been others (in ancient America) not recorded in The Book of Mormon or not known to the ancient authors.”

Elder Richard L. Evans characterized The Book of Mormon as “ part of a record…of prophets and peoples who (with supplementary groups) were among the ancestors of the American Indians.”

In ignoring the actual teachings of the Mormon Church, Joel Kramer intentionally miss-represents his hypothesis for the DNA study. If Joel Kramer had properly used the scientific process he would have used both possible hypothesis on the origins of the American Indians in his theory.

One example of how the Local Colonization Hypothesis is the more probable of the two hypotheses follows:

The family of Lehi arrived in the New World with his sons and another family with daughters. The son named Nephi who became the name of the Nephites were totally wiped out in war. There will be no DNA evidence linking them to the Middle East.

The two sons Laman and Lemuel who rebelled against God and became the Lamanites could possibly have Middle East DNA. The probability of them having DNA that exists today is very small. Using the Local Colonization Theory where there were existing people in the Americas where Lehi landed—What is the possibility of their DNA making a major long lasting print for the next 2000 years?

The facts were that Laman and Lemuel were Jewish, they each had a wife and children. Assuming they went over to the local American tribes, (1) What is the chance that they took more wives/concubines and fathered children through those wives/concubines? (2) What is the chance that their children took wives and fathered children?

Using Joel Kramer’s assumption that Laman and Lemuel had children with some native American wives or concubines—Under the following circumstances: What is the chance of their DNA showing up 2000 years later if the tribe they joined were 100 native Indians, or 500 native Indians…or 1000 native Indians? The DNA print would be very hard to determine in each of these sizes of the tribe they joined, especially 2000 years down the line.

On the contrary it is pretty clear that Laman and Lemuel did not take any local wives or concubines. In the Book of Mormon Jacob teaches the Nephites about this specific topic:

Jacob 3:5,6
5. Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hat because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.
6. And now, this commandment they observe to keep; …

The chances of Laman and Lemuel’s DNA lineage continuing in those days are slim to none.
The chance that Laman and Lemuel’s children making a lasting DNA print is small. With the many wars spoken of, the blood line of Laman and Lemuel could have easily ended within one or two generations. With the “genetic drift” phenomenon, the chances of the children of Laman and Lemuel DNA lineage is very small.

GENETIC DRIFT: A further study of genetic drift should be studied. The genetic drift is a possible occurrence for the descendants of Laman and Lemuel where it is possible that their individual gene lineages may have become extinct. This genetic drift is explained in an article named “Who are the children of Lehi?” by D. Jeffrey Meldrum and Trent D. Stephens.

In putting together the DNA and The Book of Mormon study, Joel Kramer intentionally ignored these facts on genetic drift. If Joel Kramer had not ignored these facts it would have changed his predetermined conclusion that Joseph Smith was a liar and The Book of Mormon is false.

ASSUMPTION: It is the assumption of this author that after understanding the phenomena of genetic drift, the probability of ever finding a DNA link between the American Indians and the ancient Hebrews is about ZERO.

Deception 3	Deception 5
INTRODUCTION | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | CONCLUSION | APPENDIX