Horses in america this is one issue that i knew was fishy as a tbm although it never bothered me enough to get me out. There is a documented report from a french baron fighting the iroquois in 1687 near rochester, new york, that reads, in all these villages, we found plenty of horses, black cattle, fowl and hogs. New evidence for horses in america book of mormon central. The suggestion of horses and chariots in precolumbian america has long. Funny, i was reading through my old book of mormon study guide the other day, and there is a part in the beginning that talks about how anti people say that horses didnt exist in america during book of mormon times. But its also another one that clearly shows that ole joe was clearly talking out his ass. My friends and i would always just replied with but there were horses bc the book of mormon says so. Scientists, historians, and other scholars have long maintained the view that there were no horses in the americas during book of mormon. One of the toughest challenges for the book of mormon is the issue of horses. Modern horses did not arrive in the new world until they were brought by spanish explorers. The topic of horses in the book of mormons depiction of the ancient new world is undoubtedly a controversial one. These dates range all the way from the journey of the jaredites preabraham, up until the time just prior to the appearance of christ in the americas 33 ad.
Critics of the book of mormon point to an apparent lack of horses in surviving writings, art, and artifacts from ancient america. In his letter to a ces director, jeremy runnells asks why horses are mentioned in the book of mormon when, supposedly, no horses existed in precolumbian america. The bom doesnt say much else about any of their animals, flocks, etc. Horses did not reappear in the americas until the spaniards brought them from europe. At first glance, its a simple case for rejecting the book.
Each possible explanation also teaches important lessons about archaeology. As enos describes nephite life in his day fifth century bc, he says that they raised many horses. And it came to pass that the people of nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds and also. However, researchers have found some anomalous remains that do appear to show that there were horses prior to the spanish conquestboth closer to and after book of mormon times. They mentioned that recent discoveries proved that horses existed during book of mormon timesof course no sources were provided. Anthropologist state that north american horses went extinct around 1 bc. In the book of mormon, however, chariots are referenced little, and never in a battle context, making it hard to be certain about their nature. Horses in america and book of mormon recovery from. Im just addressing the particular mormon apologetic theory which accepts that there were no precolumbian horses but argues that horse in the book of.
The question of horses in the book of mormon meridian. Several recent publications on this topic deserve to be considered. There is no evidence that horses existed on the american continent during the timeframe of the book of mormon. One should be aware of these possibilities while reading references to horses and other plants and animals not commonly thought to be in the americas during book of mormon times. Indigenous horses book of mormon archaeological forum. If there really were horses in the americas in what is supposed to be the book of mormons time frame, then of course that would demolish the critical objection to horses as an anachronism. Ted dee stoddard, in the issue of the word horse in the book of mormon, reminds us that horses existed at one time in the ancient world, but were believed to have become extinct.
Although hard evidence is available to consider, so far no incontrovertible proof of book of mormon horses existsthat is to say, physical remains conclusively dated to around 500 bc and earlier from supposed book of mormon. There is no evidence that horses existed on the american continent during the 25003000 year history of the book of mormon 2500 b. Horses true book of mormon geography lands western new. Book of mormon horses in ancient north america book of. But, now the lds church is saying the horse referred to in the book of mormon is probably a tapir or deer like animal known in central and south america, as is noted in an article from the fairlds site horses in the book of mormon by mike ash. Anachronisms in the book of mormon religious studies center. Only a fool does not test his or her christian belief to see if it withstands scrutiny and tough well reasoned questioning. There were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox, and the ass and the horse, and the goat and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals1 nephi 18. The book of mormon mentions horses a few times, even though were not in the americas before the spanish arrived, according to current expert opinion. That leaves 11 times that the book of mormon claims that horses existed in the new world. Why are these things mentioned in the book of mormon as being made available in the americas between 2200 bc 421 ad. Horses were reintroduced to the americas caribbean by christopher columbus in 1493 and to the american continent by cortes in 1519. Many critics ridicule the mention of horses in the book of mormon, for it is widely assumed that horses were not known to man in the americas prior to contact with europeans. We do not have time machines to go back and see for sure what really existed.
Others believe that the word horse in the book of mormon does not refer. So much for the fourthgrade idea that eastern woodland indians always walked and that the first horses came to the plains tribes, who. According to the most scientists, the mention of horses in the americas during book of mormon times. Horses evolved in north america, but became extinct at the end of the pleistocene. The book of mormon mentions horses a few times, even though were not in the americas before the spanish arrived, according to current. Horses evolved in north america, but are believed to have become extinct on the american continent at the end of the pleistocene. Yet if we search the book of mormon, we will find at least verses saying horses existed alongside mankind in ancient america. What is the nature and use of chariots in the book of mormon. One of the most persistent questions about the book of mormon has been the mention of horses among the nephites, lamanites, and jaredites. In other words, critics claim that the book of mormon is a fraud, since horses mentioned in the book of mormon couldnt have lived here at the time of the nephites. Horses and the book of mormon why the lds church is true. Why are these things mentioned if scientists say they didnt exist in america. Part vi horses in ancient america, improvement era 58, no.
South american archaeologists do not find evidence for fully developed smelting practices until four hundred years after nephis supposed arrival in the americas. Though wheeled vehicles are still unattested throughout precolumbian america, archaeology currently shows that some mesoamerican peoples did understand the. Book of mormon horses in ancient north america book of mormon. There is no evidence that horses existed on the american. Sorenson, an ancient american setting for the book of mormon salt lake city, ut. Why horses are mentioned in the book of mormon is unstated. Horses are claimed most often as livestock and work horses, but never mentioned as riding animals. Miller and matthew roper, animals in the book of mormon. Exploring the book of mormon in americas heartland.
Appealing to those horses does not support the book of mormon because the pleistocene ended long before the earliest parts of the book of mormon. Dont you owe it to yourself to actually read the book which you so fervently defend. If the book of mormon truly is an ancient history of america, we can search the book of mormon, then search archaeology to discover if the book of mormon is accurate. To know exactly when each horse, elephant, and cow went extinct has to be an unsure science. The abundance and widespread distribution of horses in north america make the apparent disappearance of the group in this region prior to the advent of the white man an added and an unusual feature of their long and eventful career. The book of mormon is more than a history book of two ancient civilizations, it reveals the covenant land of joseph, the favorite son of jacob, israel who was sold into egypt by his brothers that being the promised land of america.
Scientists, historians, and other scholars have long maintained the view that there were no. A related discussion is in my post, update on horses in the book of mormon, mormanity blog, feb. Horses, chariots, highways, and trade the book of mormon mentions horses and chariots. First of all, the author, daniel johnson, states the problem. Thus, the mention of horses in the americas during book of mormon. Why are horses mentioned in the book of mormon lds living. Some of the animals that once lived in the americas. Nor does the book of mormon text indicate that horses or chariots play any role in the many nephite wars despite a popular classic book of mormon painting by arnold friburg depicting helaman leading the 2000 stripling warriors while astride a battleready horse. The mention of horses among domesticated animals kept by book of mormon peoples has raised questions in some peoples minds, due to the prevailing view that horses were not found in the americas during precolumbian times. Excerpts from step by step through the book of mormon unpublished by alan c. How they were used, when, and by whom, is left unsaid. Lets examine the book of mormon passages which records horses living alongside prehistoric man, prior 1492 when columbus sailed the ocean blue.
Horses in the book of mormon lds scripture teachings. Horses, scholars believe, were only reintroduced by columbus to the carribbean in 1493, and by cortez to the continent over two decades later in 1819. Hard evidence of ancient american horses part 1 dan. In spite of difficulties in defending this claim, and although the evidence is incomplete, the geological and archaeological record does provide support for horses and even wheeled vehicles in ancient america. The suggestion of horses and chariots in precolumbian america has long been an easy target for critics of the book of mormon. Archaeologists have found many ancient horse bones dated before columbus in north america. Horses in the book of mormon book of mormon mormon. Hunter and thomas stuart ferguson, ancient america and the book of mormon, pp. Any casual student of archaeology knows scientists frequently find animals alive that were previously believed to be extinct. While science can gather evidence and make some logical models for history, it is illogical to. Book of mormon geography, the near cumorah setting book.
Here are some important points that are often overlooked when exploring this challenge. In fact, horses went extinct in the americas thousands of years before they show up in the book of mormon. In time, however, scientific discoveries showed that species of horses, asses, elephants, and other animals had once been present in north america, although dating to an earlier period than that covered in the book of mormon. The former great abundance of equidae in america, their complete extinction, and their perfect acclimatization when reintroduced by man, form curious but as yet unsolved problems in geographical distribution. Horses, cattle, oxen, sheep, swine, goats, elephants, wheels, chariots, wheat, silk, steel, and iron did not exist in precolumbian america during book of mormon times. Hard evidence of ancient american horses byu studies.
There are three possible ways to approach this puzzle, dealing with archaeology, ancient cultural practices, and difficulties in translation. The book of mormon speaks of horses used by book of mormon peoples, and yet there is no proof of such a thing. Although the book of mormon twice mentions that nephi created steel out of molten rocks, archaeologists of ancient america affirm that craftsmen smelted gold, copper, and some silver. Another scholar pointed out several possibilities for mentions of horses. Many people who believe in the mesoamerican theory try very hard to explain why horses are mentioned in the book of mormon, when they. Book of mormon verses containing the reference to horses. The word chariot conjures up images of horsedrawn war vehicles.