Do DNA Findings Prove or Discredit the BOM -- Part II

Many LDS people believe that the current Lamanite descendants as found in South, Central and North America, should have some DNA matches to the ancient Israelites and peoples of the Mediterranean area. Because of this, and that so far no DNA matches have been found in typing American Indians in the Western Hemisphere, many have found it difficult to support the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s claim.

However, the problem is not in finding DNA matches, but in expecting to find them. Quite often, critics raise a question about the authenticity of the BOM or of Joseph Smith’s claims regarding Lamanite descendants, and LDS people feel obligated to try and refute, rather than understand the circumstances and knowledge involved in the claim.

When God organized man, he organized every part of man, including his cells, molecular structure, Chromosomes and DNA. In simple terms, DNA controls the production of proteins within the cell. These proteins in turn, form the structural units of cells and control all chemical processes within the cell. Think of proteins as the building blocks for an organism, proteins make up your skin, your hair, parts of individual cells, etc. How you look is largely determined by the proteins that are made, and the proteins that are made are determined by the sequence of DNA in the nucleus. The Chromosomes are composed of genes, which is a segment of DNA that codes for a particular protein which in turn codes for a trait. Hence you hear it commonly referred to as the gene for baldness or the gene for blue eyes.

Meanwhile, DNA is the chemical that genes and chromosomes are made of. DNA is called a nucleic acid because it was first found in the nucleus. We now know that DNA is also found in organelles, the mitochrondria and chloroplasts, though it is the DNA in the nucleus that actually controls the cell's workings.

Now keep in mind, that God organized these factors, typed each of us for the traits that would result, and is the architect of the DNA itself. It would certainly be within his power and ability to change that DNA if he chose to do so.

So why do we not find DNA matches between the Western Hemisphere Indian and the Mediterranean peoples? Well, the Book of Mormon tells us why the Lamanite DNA does not match Israelite DNA—because God changed the Lamanite DNA.

“And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceeding fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them” (2 Nephi 5:21). “And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers” (Alma 3:6).

Obviously, God, in placing this curse upon the Lamanites, changed their skin color, which became hereditary. In order to do this, the DNA that produces the melanin that determines skin color was changed. Since the Lamanite DNA was changed, we would not expect it to match the previous DNA that made up Laman, Lemnuel and the sons of Ishmael (the Lamanite progenitors). In fact, if DNA matches were found between the Lamanite descendants located in South, Central and North America today, one would have to question the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. However, the fact that the DNA does not match, is another support of the Book of Mormon and of Joseph Smith’s claims regarding the descendants of the Lamanites.