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BYU creates 2nd film on Mayans, Olmecs

I remember attending Priesthood meeting in the year 1957 and using as our text: "An Approach to the Book of Mormon" by Hugh Nibley. He said that until we find written material from the Yucatan area showing factual connections with the Book of Mormon, we are dealing with parallels,not evidences. A recent article in the National Geographical Magazine has a lengthy article on the Mayans. There are no names listed among the names listed after 420 A.D. that even suggest names similar to those mentioned in the Book of Mormon. Their lifestyle, history, etc. are very foreign to concepts found in the Book of Mormon. There appears to be just as many evidences found around Ohio and the Great Lakes Region, showing the early inhabitants who lived there who have just as many parallels relating to the Book of Mormon descendants.

Another great feat in research, is the first and second Kon Tiki expeditions also featured in the same National Geographic magazine as the Maya article. The original Kon Tiki expedition proved that travel by boat across a big expanse of ocean anciently was not impossible. This newest boat re-enactment of the Kon Tiki is called the "Tangaroa" and it successfully reached French Polynesia, from Peru, in April of 2006. This type of travel is what may have been written about in the Book of Mormon when ancient Nephites left the America's to colonize across the seas and were never heard of more after their second trip. Joseph Smith said they were the ancestors of Polynesians, specifically Hawaiins (though please do not quote me as I do not have his exact quote in front of me right now). Sacred ancient Hawaiin lore lends itself to those possibilities I was once told by a mission companion of mine who was almost pure Hawaiin. Of course so much of it is speculation, but it is fun to see the mounting evidence that supports the Book of Mormon.
I got a good laugh out of a PBS special several years ago that showed an archeolgy team at a recently discovered temple site in South America. They showed off the inside of the temple, but completely ignored speaking about the incredible mural on the outside that was vividly colorful . The mural showed two groups at war with each other and the one group was significantly darker skinned than the other group. Did this represent different colored skinned peoples, like the Book of Mormon speaks of, or were the colors used simply to differentiate two different tribes at war? Not sure, but the archeologist completely ignored it while commentating in front of it. Wonder Why?

I feel bad when people try to give credit where its not due in regards to my ancestors. A while back I saw a show on the "History" Channel with a bunch of Loons claiming that UFOs helped the Mayas build temples, and now these "Scholars" make THIS connection? The Mesoamerican Indians were extremely advanced, the great Mayas,Olmecs, Toltecs, and Aztecs were all Advanced. The Mayas and Aztecs kept many WRITTEN RECORDS they were meticulous with everything and NO WHERE do they mention the book of mormon. Its like kids believing in Santa Clause. I used to look for clues, like look for cookies being gone etc,. then came a time where i realized all this was just a fantasy...

Here are some connections for "OK?" Quetzaquatl, symbolized as the serpent but the Mayans believed him to be a BEARDED white God who said he would return. When Cortez landed in the Americas the Aztecs, who still believed in this tradition, thought Cortez was Him.

Yes, the Mayans were very advanced especially in astronomy. In this passage of BoM, it is talking about God's power: "Yea, if he say unto the earth�Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours�it is done;
And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; FOR SURELY IT IS THE EARTH THAT MOVETH AND NOT THE SUN." Helaman 12:14-15

There are many other similarities between BoM civilization and the Mayan civilization.

L. Taylor Hansen, a non-LDS author wrote "He Walked the Americas" describing the legends throughout all of the Americas of a bearded white person who taught about peace, healed the sick, etc.

Isn't it wonderful that we have Latter Day Saints who look at the historocity of the Book of Mormon. We have been told by our modern day prophets to study the Book of Mormon as seriously as have Bible Scholars studied the Bible. When we seek by faith, we will find both spiritual and historical meaning in the Book of Mormon.

Where the Nephites landed, the Mulekites landed, and where the Jaredites landed is fascinating to me. Three different peoples, mixed with Native cultures already here in the Americas -- you would think their descendents would be diligently seeking to find their historical and genealogical connections.

Whether now, or later, someday we will all know where the Book of Mormon peoples lived, thrived, and dwindled or were destroyed. And when we meet Mormon, Nephi, Alma, and other American Prophets, we will be able to say we sought to find both the spiritual and historical messages they left for us.

Ok: Have you studied Archaeology? Not just read books, but actually taken courses in methodology, theory, etc? Have you studied textual criticism? If you haven't then you need to keep an open mind about what LDS scholars find. The more I study these fields, the more I'm convinced these BYU guys are on to something. Comparing it to kids and Santa Claus is really not fair. These are credentialed researchers who are respectd in their acdemic fields. They're not out there to make outlandish claims, they're doing real research. Feel free to disagree, many professionals do, but don't dismiss them as foolish, because you'll find that their colleagues don't coe to the same conclusion when it comes to BYU's training and rigor.

To the victor go the spoils. There is a Mesoamerican site where new steps (with writing) covered original steps. The reason? To rewrite history. As it turned out, the conquerors wanted to put their history down instead.

You will find throughout history that this is quite common. While some facts, such as the battle taking place are reliable, many details are often lost. Imagine what our record of WWII would be if Hitler won.

The point is: not finding records that talk about the "Book of Mormon" is totally expected since the Nephites were wiped out.

An exact parallel is the Philistines. Other than records from the Bible, what do we know of them? In fact much of all that history is only preserved because the Jews survived and took their records with them. After the Babylonians conquered the Philistines they ceased to be a unique people and never returned. Only until recently, due to archeological finds, do we know much about who they really were.

And this a group with history that we ALL know about.

Furthermore, when the Book of Mormon was first printed it was laughed off the shelves because the scholars of that time didn't even think civilizations existed like that in the Americas. If nothing else, the evidences show the book knew something that scientists of that day didn't believe.

Finally, even the Bible, with the surviving people and alternate records from near by civilizations is often scrutinized by the unknown. It would be truly unreasonable to think the people from the Book of Mormon, who mostly did not survive, would have any more of a clear understanding. Nothing has proven it wrong, so writing it off as fantasy, simply because it is yet to be proven true, is foolish.

Check out the book '1491'. This is an interesting read. The Author is not a Mormon, but makes some interesting points about American Civilizations pre-Columbus.

Your replies are foolish, Im sorry for that,.You guys keep talking about Archeology! But you guys try and prove the Bom with quotes from it. Show me the evidence! What? There is NONE? The bom talks about a numerous peoples and if they mingled with other tribes where is the DNA? You guys should read what the reputable Smithsonian wrote on exactly this very Subject! They Dismissed the BOM! Nathan talked about the Mayas belief in a white bearded god represented by Quetzalcoatl, this is true and written down by them. The problem with this is that Jesus was not white! LDS folks are confused about this because of their artist renditions of Christ as being white, the most famous where he is wearing a red robe and he has colored eyes with a redish light brown beard. Jesus was Brown but again this happens when you let your imagination run wild and dont stick with Hard TANGILBLE FACTS! You should check out on youtube the video of the Southpark Cartoon on Mormons, and although I think this cartoon is very absurd, their cartoon on this subject is actually very good. May God the ONLY ALFA AND OMEGA Bless you All, I tell you this from the bottom of my heart!

And by the way I have studied Archeology and History.

White is just as likely to be a description of illuminance vs. skin color. Also skin color is relative, are Jews white or black? Weak argument OK-boy.

"OK?" I lived in Cairo for a few months and spent some time in the National Museum. The Bible says that the Israelites spent around 400 years in Egypt however the scholars of today can not find one shred of evidence that the Hebrews lived in Egypt. I believe on faith that the Hebrews lived in Egypt even though there is no evidence. By faith I believe in the creation, not the theory of evolution. By faith I believe in Jesus Christ even though there is no archeological evidence of Him. It is by faith that I believe in God.

The Pharisees wanted a sign from Christ to prove he was the Christ because they knew very well the prophecies concerning the Messiah but when the prophecies actually began to be fulfilled in front of their eyes, they would not believe.

Since OK? does not want to recognize any evidence, he will not see.

"OK"...I do not want to start a spirit of contention here, since that is not the Lord's way, but let me say that South Park's view of Mormon doctrine couldn't be farther from the truth of our beliefs. South Park is NOT of God. As far as DNA goes, DNA studies are underway around the world to connect us all to African roots. In the mural I spoke of earlier no one was "white". They were different shades of brown, but to peoples of ancient times who may have seen their Light browness as something better than dark browness or blackness(such prejudices still exist today among differing tribes in Africa) they may have refered to themselves as white in the same way jews would have seen themselves as white against an Ethiopian.
As for Jesus being white when he visited the America's, he came as a resurrected God of great light and there fore shone like the sun but pure white.
We all must walk by faith as believers and that means the "physical evidence" of things not seen but that are true may never be found in this life. That is why the Lord gave us the Holy Spirit to teach and testify of truths we cannot find hard evidence for in our mortal world. Christians, Jews and even Muslims believe that "With God, nothing is impossible." I base my faith on the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, brought forth through his prophet Joseph Smith, and the BofM not on any physical evidence, but by a witness of the Holy Spirit. The same goes for the Bible. Recently armor was found in the Red Sea, possibly supporting where it's thought Moses crossed centuries ago, but I've always known by the power of God that it's a true story.

To Nathan:

Your quote: "Since OK? does not want to recognize any evidence, he will not see."

My point: Mormons want to "see" to desperatly that they "see" things that aren't there.

Actually, it's not just Mormons. It's anybody who has any faith-based belief system. Muslims, Hindus, Christians & Wiccans to name a few. They will "see" things that will promote their beliefs and "not see" things which are not faith promoting.

Sad.

It would be nice if people could live in this reality and not base everything on the unknown.

Don't take some human's word at face value. Using logic, think it through.

Everybody thinks they have it all figured out. We don't. I would venture to say that 99.99 people who have ever lived are really dissapointed when they die.

Amazing people, the ancient Mesoamericans! From what I read, archaeologists are only just uncovering the proverbial tip of the iceberg, even after decades of digging. Politics, civil unrest and looters have all done their bit to make access to many potential sites difficult. Who knows what evidences may lie there? Until it all has been examined, cross-examined and re-examined, it seems a little ludicrous to call for proof. And even then, the reality is that all the supposition is still educated guesses at best. Even with all the extant written records. Frankly, I would be amazed if any of them did mention the BOM, since it was an abridgment of other records, compiled at the end of the period it covers by a lone refugee, who hid it from enemies. Naturally it would not be called "The Book of Mormon" by the people it mentions; it didn't exist for them. The Book of Mormon never claims to be an exhaustive historical document. That is not its point. Anyone who takes it as such is setting themselves up for disappointment. But still, it is very interesting how many parallels have been uncovered. Likewise, I find no great alarm that DNA tests don't prove the Mesoamericans were Jews. I would be amazed if they did! The people the BOM claims to follow were not of the tribe of Judah. Why would I expect them to be genetic Jews then? The BOM says that God leads other people here as he sees fit. I see no reason why anthropological evidence of other ethnic groups should conflict with BOM statements. All the BOM does is give one group's account of their dealings with God and testimony of Christ's divinity. I would be naive to suppose they were alone, and didn't mix with other groups.

Yes, read the National Geographic, August edition, and continue to watch for further articles.
BYU and FARMS need to stop calling 'their work' research, and pay more attention to real research.
Many are making a LOT of money on factless books, movies and extremely expensive tours.

I'd like to see non-LDS scientists validate the authenticy of the BOM, but I don't think it will ever happen. In fact, you get more LDS scientists disagreeing with the conclusions of these researchers who try to validate the BOM. Remember the "tree of life" stone (Izapa Stela 5)? That was supposed to be proof that validates the BOM. But then it comes out that not a single non-LDS scholor backs the LDS interpretation of that stone, and many LDS scholars did not back the LDS interpretation of that stone either. What a kick in the stomach!
I no longer believe in the obviously biased LDS researchers. When non-LDS scientists "prove" it, then I'll be interested in what they have to say.
BTW, to clarify, I do believe in the BOM. I don't believe in these "researchers" and their findings, unless their findings are validated by the non-biased, non-LDS scholars.

and look out the window. One sees mud the other the sky. Which one is right? For they both truly saw what they were looking for.

Doubting Thomas,
If Non-LDS researchers validated the BOM they surely would no longer be Non-LDS. Therefore a person following after would say "That is just another LDS researcher making fantastic claims again" The fact is many people have researched and found enough evidence to give them pause and look for spiritual confirmation to fill in the gaps "research" didn't provide. I hope you are honest enough with yourself when that evidence comes forth to ask sincerely in prayer what the truth is.

And now for something different... I live here in the southeast US and I can find some evidence of old fortifications that predate the native Indian culture that the Europeans foound down here. Some in Georga, some in Tennissee and a few look remarkably like I read about in the BOM. And some years ago, I was reading an account of someone traveling with Joseph Smith to MO, and the account said that Joseph pointed out some Indian mounds and said it was the site of ancient Manti. Sooo.. maybe all the Mayan/Omec stuff is irrelavant? Just maybe all the BOM stuff happened in North America (yeah I know narrow neck of land and all that, but the face of the land was changed when Christ came plus maybe we are just too blind to see somthing). Anyway, when what man saies and what Father has revieled conflict; I put my money on Father to be right.