Darkness and Destruction in 3 Nephi 8-10 (Howlers # 32)
"The author, evidently, mounts the fiery steed of his imagination and herds together every strange thing, every wonderful thing, every blood-curdling story, and every impossible thing he had ever heard...
View ArticleBattle Numbers (Howlers #33)
Those who are particularly desirous of information concerning the millions of warriors, and the bloody battles in which more were slain than ever fell in all the wars of Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon,...
View ArticleA New York Cumorah? Not a Hill We Have to Die On
   In 1990, anti-Mormons began to circulate copies of a letter purportedly written by F. Michael Watson, Secretary to the First Presidency to a Bishop Darrell L. Brooks in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,...
View ArticleWhat is the significance of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon?
In the past several months Book of Mormon Central has published a number of research summaries relating chiasmus and the Book of Mormon. The following article, "Does Chiasmus Prove Anything about the...
View ArticleNeville-Neville Land
A number of years ago I discussed some of the concerns I had over the rise of what has come to be known as the Heartland Movement."Losing the Remnant: The New Exclusivist `Movement' and the Book of...
View ArticleHas the Location of the Hill Cumorah Been Revealed?
Some have recently claimed that the location of the Hill Cumorah has been identified by revelation and that the New York Hill, called by that name today is the same hill at which the Nephites and...
View ArticleReview of the Annotated Book of Mormon: Part I
President M. Russell Ballard recently counseled teachers and instructors in the Church, "not to pass along faith promoting or unsubstantiated rumors or outdated understandings and explanations of our...
View ArticleReview of Annotated Book of Mormon Part 2
Here is Part 2 of Stephen Smoot's detailed review of the Annotated Book of Mormon. There is evidence for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. This is not it.
View ArticleReview of Annotated Book of Mormon Part 3
The terms "this land", "this country" and "this continent" in early nineteenth century usage did not refer exclusively to the United States, but had a broader range of meaning. Part 3 of the review of...
View ArticleReview of Annotated Book of Mormon
Here is the fourth in the series dealing with misrepresentation of historical sources. The misrepresentation of Joseph Smith's teachings about Zion seems particularly outrageous.
View ArticleReview of Annotated Book of Mormon: Lamanites and Indians
Here is the fifth part of the review of the Annotated Book of Mormon
View ArticleReview of Annotated Book of Mormon Footnotes, Manti, and Zarahemla
Here is part 6 of 12 from the review of the Annotated Book of Mormon
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Destruction of Records in Ancient America and the Book of Mormon
Men of Ammonihah burn the scriptures of believers (churchofjesuschrist,org)The Nephite prophet-historians carefully preserved their most valuable records which were privately passed down from...
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The Departure of Alma and Traditions about the Death of Moses
Alma counseling Helaman before his departure (churchofjesuschrist.org)After years of diligent service preaching the Gospel among the people of Nephi, the prophet Alma counseled with his sons,...
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Scimitars or "Cimeters" in the Book of Mormon and Precolumbian Times
Curved Blade from the Codex Borgia (Wikipedia Commons)One of the weapons often mentioned in the war chapters of the Book of Mormon is the cimeter or scimitar. This was basically a sword with a sharp...
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"There is no archaeological evidence for . . ."
Kenneth Kitchen is Personal and Brunner Professor Emeritus of Egyptology and Honorary Research Fellow at the School of Archaeology, Classics and Oriental Studies, University of Liverpool, England. He...
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"Irrefutable" and "Enormously Impressive": Michael Coe on the Diffusionist...
Michael D. CoeWhen I first attended BYU as an undergrad in 1988-1989 I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant with Professor John L. Sorenson in helping update an edition of his...
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Was Aminadab a Zoramite?
Nephi and Lehi Encircled By A Pillar of Fire (Ronald Crosby)One of the more remarkable narratives in the Book of Mormon is found in Helaman chapter 5. A group of Lamanites and Nephite dissenters are...
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Swine and Peccary: Shift Happens
Wild PigThe earliest reference to swine in the Book of Mormon text is among the Jaredites, where they are said to have been useful for food (Ether 9:18). Later, swine are mentioned, but never said to...
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Nephi Son of Helaman: A Prophet Like Moses
The prophet Moses was often seen as the ideal prophet in Israelite history. Biblical writers often portrayed subsequent Israelite leaders as prophets like Moses in a way that invites comparison and can...
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