The Interpreter is sticking with Tapirs. Chariots aren't chariots and more.

[Rivendale]

I have to give them credit for sticking to their guns (although with a disclaimer). Tapirs are actually still being considered. Wheels are not wheels. https://journal.interpreterfoundation.o ... hy-theory/. This baffles me. Why are they producing this despite all the evidence to the contrary? I would think they would let the maligned Tapir just go away.

[drumdude]

There’s something profoundly sad about grown men putting this much effort into the Book of Mormon historicity.

It has the exact same energy as the stereotypical Star Trek nerd trying to reconcile all the lore into one cohesive whole. But at least the Star Trek nerd knows it’s fiction.

[Marcus]

Every so often I take a look at what passes for footnotes at the Interpreter. Here is text from the first paragraph, and footnote 2:

second, “Were indigenous populations present or absent on the arrival of the Jaredites, Lehites, and Mulekites (empty continent versus inhabited continent theories)?” has been largely resolved for most researchers, who acknowledge multiple Book of Mormon textual references that demonstrate the existence of preexisting populations. [footnote]2.

Footnote 2

2. See 2 Nephi 5:5; Jacob 2:23−24; Jarom 1:6, Alma 2:24, 28; 43:51; 49:6; 51:11; Helaman 1:19, 6:6, 7:1−2. See also Matthew Roper, “Limited Geography and the Book of Mormon: Historical Antecedents and Early Interpretations,” FARMS Review 16, no. 2 (2004): 225–75; Matthew Roper, “Nephi’s Neighbors: Book of Mormon Peoples and Pre-Columbian Populations,” Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 1989–2011 15, no. 2 (June 2003): 91–128; John L. Sorenson, “When Lehi’s Party Arrived in the Land, Did They Find Others There?” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1, no. 1 (1992): 1–34; Ugo A. Perego and Jayne E. Ekins, “Is Decrypting the Genetic Legacy of America’s Indigenous Populations Key to the Historicity of the Book of Mormon?” Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture 12 (2014): 237–79.

Here are the first four references in footnote 2, ostensibly in support of the idea that Book of Mormon people ran into indigenous groups:

Ne 5:5 And it came to pass that the Lord did awarn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me.

 23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing awhoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.

5 And now, behold, two hundred years had passed away, and the people of Nephi had waxed strong in the land. They observed to akeep the law of Moses and the bsabbath day holy unto the Lord. And they cprofaned not; neither did they dblaspheme. And the elaws of the land were exceedingly strict.
6 And they were scattered upon amuch of the face of the land, and the Lamanites also. And they were exceedingly more bnumerous than were they of the Nephites; and they loved cmurder and would drink the dblood of beasts.

24 Behold, we followed the acamp of the bAmlicites, and to our great astonishment, in the land of Minon, above the land of Zarahemla, in the course of the land of cNephi, we saw a numerous host of the Lamanites; and behold, the Amlicites have joined them;

28 Nevertheless, the Nephites being astrengthened by the hand of the Lord, having prayed mightily to him that he would deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, therefore the Lord did hear their cries, and did strengthen them, and the Lamanites and the Amlicites did fall before them.

Utter. Fail. Not one of those scripture passages supports the idea put forward. At best, the Amlici year verse can be read as ambiguous, but not when you read the preceding verses about their start. If the author wants to argue the idea, great, but footnotes are supposed to provide legitimate and recognized supports of your claim, not imaginary argument hidden away, with arbitrary assumptions slathered over the top to hide the facts.

That’s where I stopped. The Interpreter, as usual, is doing a “peerless” job of peer review.

[drumdude]

Author’s Note: I would like to thank Brant Gardner, Ugo Perego, Godfrey Ellis, and the anonymous reviewers for their feedback and excellent suggestions on earlier drafts of this article.]

The anonymous reviewer is probably a highly qualified and unbiased individual with no personal connection to anyone involved.

[Rivendale]

Author’s Note: I would like to thank Brant Gardner, Ugo Perego, Godfrey Ellis, and the anonymous reviewers for their feedback and excellent suggestions on earlier drafts of this article.]

The anonymous reviewer is probably a highly qualified and unbiased individual with no personal connection to anyone involved.

Ugo Perego has a chain to Mormonism that the leaders cultivated.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

Daniel McClellan was recently on Mormonism Live. He had some compelling arguments why the only way for the Book of Mormon to be taken seriously from a religious or scholarly perspective is to view it as pseudepigrapha. I'm sure Dan is now squarely in the crosshairs of the Mopologists.

PS You simply cannot have a discussion about Tapirs without listening to Weird Alma's masterpiece, "Tapir Back Rider."

https://soundcloud.com/user-480239968/s ... alma-songs

Also, a personal favorite:

https://soundcloud.com/user-480239968/b ... alma-songs

[Rivendale]

Daniel McClellan was recently on Mormonism Live. He had some compelling arguments why the only way for the Book of Mormon to be taken seriously from a religious or scholarly perspective is to view it as pseudepigrapha. I'm sure Dan is now squarely in the crosshairs of the Mopologists.

PS You simply cannot have a discussion about Tapirs without listening to Weird Alma's masterpiece, "Tapir Back Rider."

https://soundcloud.com/user-480239968/s ... alma-songs

Also, a personal favorite:

https://soundcloud.com/user-480239968/b ... alma-songs

Interesting how pseudepigrapha has become the catch phrase. What a slog it has to be for a creator to laboriously go through these types of rat mazes just to get his holy word out.

[Moksha]

There was no way for Joseph to know that horses were not around the Americas in pre-Columbian times, so when he sighted Tapirs of Unusual Size in this rock he naturally assumed they were horses. This is not a difficult concept for the Saints.

Would we show such skepticism for the work of Lewis Carroll?

[Shulem]

There was no way for Joseph to know that horses were not around the Americas in pre-Columbian times

Likewise, there was no way for Joseph to know that names for Egyptian kings in hieroglyphic writing were ALWAYS written within a royal Cartouche. There are no exceptions. It was the number (#1) one rule.

I bear testimony that Joseph Smith was a liar and a false prophet. I bear testimony that Daniel C. Peterson is also a liar.

Amen.

[drumdude]

Daniel McClellan was recently on Mormonism Live. He had some compelling arguments why the only way for the Book of Mormon to be taken seriously from a religious or scholarly perspective is to view it as pseudepigrapha. I'm sure Dan is now squarely in the crosshairs of the Mopologists.

PS You simply cannot have a discussion about Tapirs without listening to Weird Alma's masterpiece, "Tapir Back Rider."

https://soundcloud.com/user-480239968/s ... alma-songs

Also, a personal favorite:

https://soundcloud.com/user-480239968/b ... alma-songs

Interesting how pseudepigrapha has become the catch phrase. What a slog it has to be for a creator to laboriously go through these types of rat mazes just to get his holy word out.

It’s all about agency. If it was too easy to believe in, you wouldn’t be tested.