Modern mtDNA Supports the Book of Mormon

 

The Misguided Path of Modern Science: DNA Evidence Supports the Book of Mormon

In recent years, scientific studies have been lauded for their advancements in understanding human origins, yet often these studies are presented with a subtle sleight of hand that perpetuates entrenched but flawed narratives. The 2008 mtDNA study on the six founding Native American mothers is a prime example. While the facts presented in the study clearly indicate that Native Americans did not originate from Asia, the researchers, almost reflexively, steer the reader toward the Beringia hypothesis—an unsupported conjecture rather than a conclusion rooted in solid evidence.

The study, which analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found in the cells' powerhouses passed down exclusively through the maternal line, identified five primary haplogroups (A, B, C, D, and X) unique to Native Americans. Crucially, these haplogroups do not have corresponding matches in Asia or Europe. Despite this, the researchers hypothesize that these founding mothers lived on a land bridge called Beringia—a hypothesis built on the assumption that such a land bridge existed and was inhabited by these populations. However, this assumption is entirely speculative, lacking concrete evidence of human habitation on this supposed land bridge.

This is not an isolated case. Another study published in Molecular Biology and Evolution by an international team of scientists, led by Kari Britt Schroeder, concluded that Native American populations are more closely related to each other than to any Asian populations, except those living on the edge of the Bering Strait. Again, the evidence showed no direct Asian ancestry for Native Americans, yet the researchers clung to the Beringia hypothesis, suggesting a "single ancestral population" despite the absence of the 9-repeat allele in Asia.

These findings, taken at face value, are groundbreaking and should have prompted a reevaluation of long-held beliefs about Native American origins. Instead, the scientific community has doubled down on the Beringia theory, likely because admitting otherwise would undermine decades of research and challenge the prevailing paradigm. But the facts remain: the mtDNA and 9-repeat allele studies both point to a population that did not come from Asia.

This evidence aligns perfectly with the narrative presented in the Book of Mormon, which has stated since 1830 that the Native American population did not originate from Asia. According to the Book of Mormon, the progenitors of the Native Americans were the descendants of Lehi, who journeyed from Jerusalem to the Western Hemisphere. Decedent's of Lehi's colony could very well be the source of the unique mtDNA found in Native American populations today—mtDNA that science has proven did not connect to Asia.

The story of Lehi and his family is central to understanding the origins of the Native American people. After settling in the promised land, Lehi's descendants eventually split into two groups: the Nephites and the Lamanites. Over time, the Lamanites, marked by a change in their appearance as described in the Book of Mormon, came to dominate the land, eventually wiping out the Nephites. The DNA evidence that scientists have uncovered could very well be the genetic remnants of Lehi's lineage, the Lamanites, who became the only population in the America's according to the record of the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon has long provided an account that modern science is only now beginning to validate, albeit reluctantly. The failure of scientists to connect Native American populations to Asia directly, despite their best efforts, only serves to underscore the accuracy of the Book of Mormon’s narrative. As more evidence comes to light, it becomes increasingly clear that the origins of the Native American people are far more complex and intriguing than the oversimplified theories that have been presented for decades, and sadly still taught.

It's time to reconsider the evidence without the blinders of preconceived notions. The science, when stripped of its speculative hypotheses, supports what the Book of Mormon has said all along: the Native American population did not come from Asia. Instead of clinging to the Beringia hypothesis, it's time for the scientific community to acknowledge the possibility that the origins of the Native Americans might be exactly where the Book of Mormon said they would be—right here in the Americas, with roots tracing back to a sacred record that has stood the test of time.

~NephiCode Staff