Sethbag wrote:Charity, this simply didn't happen. And Noah didn't build an ark that held 2 of some kinds, and 7 of other kinds of animals, along with food and water, and his family, for a year. And Moses didn't part the red sea. Who knows whether David really killed a tall guy named Goliath.
You are the poster child for "magical thinking".
Ah, so now we've gone from the Limited Geography Theory to the Limited Shipbuilding Theory, where Nephi actually bought supplies from shipbuilders in the area, hired workers, and merely directed the building of a ship, using experienced shipwrights and a blueprint provided by God. I'm still confused as to why Nephi had to actually mine his own ore, and smelt it, and produce his own iron tools, if there was a local shipbuilding facility with workers and all. Maybe that was "sweat equity" he had to provide as part of his payment for all the cordage, sails, timbers, casks or jars, provisions, spars, laborers, etc. Building a ship was a very capital-intensive venture. It was extremely expensive. If Nephi actually just contracted out most of the ship, as you imply he might have done, it would have cost them an arm and a leg to do so. I guess they hauled around chests of gold (you know, the gold were holding back when they were supposed to be trying to buy the brass plates off Laban) in the wilderness just waiting for the opportunity to spend all that money.
Of course, if you actually read chapters 17 and 18 of 1 Nephi, it very clearly says that Nephi and his brethren built the ship. Or is this just like the "others", and you're going to find some verse that's just ambiguous enough to sneak a whole shipyard full of naval supplies and laborers into the story?
I am not advocating any "unlimited ship building" theory. But just because others aren't mentioned, doesn't mean they weren't there. And just because Nephi doesn't give the bill from the nearest Oman Home Depot doesn't mean that purchases couldn't have been made. And with God anything is possible.
You know, seth, you can't prove it didn't happen any more than I can prove it did happen. So who is a wishful thinker? Only I have a better position than you do. Your position is shrinking. Mine is expanding. Every new discovery adds to my position, and there is nothing that can add to yours, as we push you further and further into a corner.