If you have not yet read "Mormonism, Anachronism #1", you may find it extremely helpful to do so before reading this post!
http://honestsearchfortruth.blogspot.com/2011/06/mormonism-anachronism-1.html
Possible Anachronism #2, Iron, Steel, Metal Swords, and Rust
As with Anachronism #1, I will try to be as fair as possible with this analysis. Keep in mind that while there are dozens of conclusions that could be drawn from the evidence available, we are in search of the best conclusion. The specific question we are attempting to answer is "based on the subject material of the Book of Mormon, is it more likely that Joseph Smith wrote the book apart from any sort of divine influence or that God wrote the text and Smith merely translated."
Thesis: It is more likely that Joseph Smith wrote the Book of Mormon apart from the influence of any 'God' because 'God' would not have made the errors found in the Book of Mormon. The error being examined in this specific post is the inclusion of metals which were not present in the ancient Americas.
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Josh's Assumptions:
1. Iron, steel, swords made of steel, and swords which 'rusted' are all mentioned as being produced and used during the time period 2500 BC to AD 400 in the ancient Americas
2. The items listed above were not present in the ancient Americas
3. If metal implements had been used by the Jaredites and Nephites (groups of people about which the BoM is written about), then we would have found them
Justification for Assumptions:
1. See 1 Nephi 16:18, 2 Nephi 5:15, Jarom 1:8, and Ether 7:9 (I quote 3 of the 4 below)
2 Nephi 5:15
“And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance”
Jarom 1:8
"And we multiplied exceedingly, and spread upon the face of the land, and became exceedingly rich in gold, and in silver, and in precious things, and in fine workmanship of wood, in buildings, and in machinery, and also in iron and copper, and brass and steel, making all manner of tools of every kind to till the ground, and weapons of war—yea, the sharp pointed arrow, and the quiver, and the dart, and the javelin, and all preparations for war."
Ether 7:9
"Wherefore, he came to the hill Ephraim, and he did molten out of the hill, and made swords out of steel for those whom he had drawn away with him; and after he had armed them with swords he returned to the city Nehor, and gave battle unto his brother Corihor, by which means he obtained the kingdom and restored it unto his father Kib."
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2. There is no evidence of there being steel weapons or tools in the ancient Americas. If you know of any, please let me know!
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3. If the "great abundance" of metal weapons/tools had been produced, we would have found them.
Archaeology has allowed us to discover many items much less durable than metal which existed during or before the time of the Book of Mormon.
Here is an extremely interesting example:
Mormon 6:6-14
[6] And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.
[7] And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.
[8] And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.
[9] And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.
[10] And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my
ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.
[11] And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the
ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me.
[12] And we also beheld the
ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.
[13] And behold, the
ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.
[14] And Lamah had fallen with his
ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his
ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his
ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his
ten thousand; and
Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.
[15] And it came to pass that there were
ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth. (all underlines and bolding mine)
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Summary of Mormon 6:6-14-
- The Lamanites attack the Nephites with all sorts of weapons (including swords). There is no reason to believe that these weapons were not made of metal (including steel).
- The Nephites had around (7 x 10,000) + (6 x 10,000) + (10 x 10,000) = 230,000 people (who also had metal weapons)
- The Lamanites beat the 230,000 (I wonder how many people they had?)
IF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOUGHT A GIGANTIC BATTLE AROUND 400 AD, THERE IS ALMOST NO WAY THAT ARCHAEOLOGISTS WOULD HAVE MISSED IT.
Would you bet your life on archaeologists missing an event of such magnitude?
ALSO, EVEN IF THEY
DID MISS THIS GIGANTIC BATTLE, WHAT ABOUT THEIR CIVILIZATION? THESE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL LIVED SOMEPLACE, RIGHT? MAYBE THEY USED METAL TOOLS?
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Conclusion:
The Book of Mormon claims in multiple places that metal (including steel) weapons/tools were used extensively in the ancient Americas. No trace of these weapons/tools has been found. If these weapons/tools had existed, we would have found them. This is fatal evidence against the validity of the Book of Mormon being a book inspired by 'God'.
