Craig Paxton wrote:Interesting discussion going on in that board that can not be named.
The Invisible Geography Model.
This quote sums up the new approach.
"Book of Mormon cities have been found, they are well known, and their artifacts grace the finest museums. They are merely masked by archaeological labels such as “Maya,” “Olmec,” and so on. The problem, then, is not that Book of Mormon artifacts have not been found, only that they have not been recognized for what they are. Again, if we stumbled onto Zarahemla, how would we know? The difficulty is not with evidence but with epistemology."
Basically the Book of Mormon civilization left nothing behind that would distinguish them from Ancient American civilizations...I find this mind blowing but understandable given the lack of anything that would confirm a Nephite or Lamanite existence.
While I understand the necessity for such an argument, I have never understood why people accept it. At the very least, 4 Nephi describes a society which should be very detectable in the archaeological record. I think Brant Gardner's theory was that 4 Nephi isn't an accurate description of the civilization at the time; it's more like poetry or something.
I like the invisible geography theory. Science is getting closer to cloaking technology. Surely god, being the ultimate scientist, can use cloaking technology to make the Book of Mormon evidence invisible. If he can make a smart phone out of a rock, he can make things invisible.
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die." - Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775
well we also have holland/oaks roaring across south america that the catholics worship the totally wrong jesus.
well my dear apostles we got the right jesus but he is disguised as the wrong jesus so don't blame us. we are pretty happy with our labels and when you get noah, adam, god, michael, elohim, jehovah, elias, elijah, HM and HM AND lamanites, nephites, anti -nephites lamanites anti anti **** figured out please send us revelation.
Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given... Zeus (1178 BC)
Craig Paxton wrote:Interesting discussion going on in that board that can not be named.
The Invisible Geography Model.
This quote sums up the new approach.
"Book of Mormon cities have been found, they are well known, and their artifacts grace the finest museums. They are merely masked by archaeological labels such as “Maya,” “Olmec,” and so on. The problem, then, is not that Book of Mormon artifacts have not been found, only that they have not been recognized for what they are. Again, if we stumbled onto Zarahemla, how would we know? The difficulty is not with evidence but with epistemology."
Basically the Book of Mormon civilization left nothing behind that would distinguish them from Ancient American civilizations...I find this mind blowing but understandable given the lack of anything that would confirm a nephite or lamanite existence.
I don't know that I'd call something written in 2004 a "new approach."
From the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diaries: "ELW dreams he's spattered w/ grease. Hundreds steal his greasy pants."
Craig Paxton wrote:Interesting discussion going on in that board that can not be named.
The Invisible Geography Model.
This quote sums up the new approach.
"Book of Mormon cities have been found, they are well known, and their artifacts grace the finest museums. They are merely masked by archaeological labels such as “Maya,” “Olmec,” and so on. The problem, then, is not that Book of Mormon artifacts have not been found, only that they have not been recognized for what they are. Again, if we stumbled onto Zarahemla, how would we know? The difficulty is not with evidence but with epistemology."
Basically the Book of Mormon civilization left nothing behind that would distinguish them from Ancient American civilizations...I find this mind blowing but understandable given the lack of anything that would confirm a Nephite or Lamanite existence.
Or maybe the "Comprehensive Geography Model," since nothing can be ruled out if it's just mislabeled.
The one I'm betting on is the Frozen Tribes in The Land Northwards since Oetzi the Ice Man is obviously of Middle Eastern origin, he's just been mislabeled like all the rest.
Next time the bully demands your lunch money tell him you left it on his mother's dresser.
cinepro wrote:While I understand the necessity for such an argument, I have never understood why people accept it. At the very least, 4 Nephi describes a society which should be very detectable in the archaeological record. I think Brant Gardner's theory was that 4 Nephi isn't an accurate description of the civilization at the time; it's more like poetry or something.
Of course that is what Brant Gardner would say...he has to make his theory right somehow...why not throw parts of the book out...when it doesn't serve arguments to support the book
"...The official doctrine of the LDS Church is a Global Flood" - BCSpace
"...What many people call sin is not sin." - Joseph Smith
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away" - Phillip K. Dick
“The meaning of life is that it ends" - Franz Kafka
Invisible geography is simply the next step in their retreat. It's got to be tough being a mopologist these days. Where are the thinking members going to go? I guess one can always choose to believe in something that is demonstrably false. Maybe God set it up that way as a proof of our gullibility or I mean faith?
"Religion is about providing human community in the guise of solving problems that don’t exist or failing to solve problems that do and seeking to reconcile these contradictions and conceal the failures in bogus explanations otherwise known as theology." - Kishkumen
deacon blues wrote:Is it possible that all the evidence for Nephite civilization was destroyed when a meteor hit the earth and created the Caribbean Sea?
Nope. Think about that timeline for a moment. Consider the size of such an impact and it's range of effect. Ask yourself what is problematic with that scenario.
The only rock that has affected the tale of the Nephites is the one that spent time in the bottom of Joe Smith's hat, and that he used as a prop in conjuring that tale.