The simple question is, does all the current DNA research prove or disprove the Book of Mormon? In an attempt to answer this, Daniel C. Peterson has written a book entitled “DNA Research and the Book of Mormon.”He states that “Recently, some persons have announced that modern DNA research has conclusively proved that the Book of Mormon is false and that Joseph Smith was a fraud. The past decade has seen a revolution in the way in which biologists collect data and proceed with their research. This revolution has come about by technological innovations that allow scientists to efficiently sequence DNA for a wide range of organisms, resulting in vast quantities of genetic data from a diverse array of creatures.”
Peterson goes on to say: ”One such misunderstanding is the current controversy over DNA evidence and its bearing on the veracity of the Book of Mormon. On the one hand, statements by the Prophet Joseph Smith indicate that Native Americans are descended from the Lamanites. On the other, recent scientific studies have evaluated the current genetic compositions of selected worldwide human populations, and several of these have concluded that the principal genetic origin of the sampled Native American peoples has been Asiatic, likely due to the constant documented flow of humans back and forth across the Bering Strait. The real issue, however, is not necessarily if Native Americans are the inheritors of Asian genetic material; it is whether or not this evidence refutes the story line of the Book of Mormon and the claims of Joseph Smith relative to Native Americans.”
He also adds: “The first point that should be clarified is that those persons who state that DNA evidence falsifies the authenticity of the Book of Mormon are not themselves performing genetic research to test this claim. This conclusion is not coming from the scientists studying human population genetics. It is not the result of a formal scientific investigation specifically designed to test the authenticity of the Book of Mormon by means of genetic evidence, nor has it been published in any reputable scientific journal open to scientific peer review. Rather, it has come from outside persons who have interpreted the conclusions of an array of population genetic studies and forced the applicability of these results onto the Book of Mormon. The studies cited by these critics were never formulated by their original authors as a specific test of the veracity of the Book of Mormon. To my knowledge there is no reputable researcher who is specifically attempting to test the authenticity of the Book of Mormon with DNA evidence.”
While this blog is not meant to criticize or minimize Peterson’s efforts, for his book can be of great value to those interested in DNA, it is meant to suggest that LDS people are trying to answer or refute a problem that others believe exists, but in reality, does not exist at all. While no DNA has been found to support Lamanite descendancy from the Israelite or Mediterranean people of antiquity, LDS have made a grave mistake in believing this is a problem and needs to be countered.
The truth of the matter is simply this: There SHOULD BE NO DNA matches of Lamanite descendancy at all. However, in trying to find a way around this lack of DNA findings, LDS people, such as scientists, DNA experts, and others have mistakenly taken a defensive stance and it has placed them in a quandary as to how to deal with what they perceive as a “problem.”
In the next post, we will discuss what the Book of Mormon says on the matter and why there should be no DNA matching of Lamanite desendency from Israelite or Mediterranean people.
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