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| − | {{GeographyPortal}}
| + | #REDIRECT [[Question: Is DNA Haplogroup X2a proof that the Book of Mormon fits best in a geography located in the Great Lakes region?]] |
| − | {{Question}}
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| − | ==Question==
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| − | I've heard some members claim that the Book of Mormon fits best in a geography located around the Great Lakes, and that this is supported by a DNA HLA called Haplotype X2a. What can you tell me about this?
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| − | ==Answer==
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| − | ''An additional argument for a Great Lakes setting is made on textual grounds. See FAIR wiki article on [[Book_of_Mormon_geography:New_World:Great_Lakes_geography|Great Lakes setting]]''.
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| − | While FAIR applauds the efforts of Latter-day Saints to defend the Book of Mormon against critics attacks, at present we feel unable to endorse this idea as persuasive evidence for the Book of Mormon's antiquity.
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| − | Some members of FAIR have had a look at the speculations along these lines. The goal seems to be that proponents of this theory want to prove the Book of Mormon with DNA by tracking HLA type X among native Americans.
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| − | The theory postulates that type X comes from the Levant (i.e., Israel/Palestine), and then reaches Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Western New York with the Lehi colony. Proponents of this model argue, then, that this group actually sailed around Africa and up through the South Atlantic and into the Gulf of Mexico. They then have them landing in what is now Louisiana.
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| − | But when Nephi's group fled from Laman's faction, advocates of this model have ''both'' the Nephi and Laman factions migrating north to the area designated above. There is no textual evidence in the Book of Mormon to support this.
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| − | ===Problems of dates===
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| − | The biggest difficulty with this speculation, however, is the problem of dating. Haplotype X, which is centered in Europe (France and Spain) is thought to have reached North America much earlier than the Lehi party, and to have brought the distinctive [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_culture Clovis culture] to the Americas (which dates from before 12,000 years ago). This culture involves what is often called the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_point Clovis Point] tools—that is, pressure flaked tools (arrow heads and so forth), which are not found in Alaska and Asia. This has led some revisionists to advance what you call the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solutrean_hypothesis Solutrean Hypothesis]—that is, that haplotype X got to North America (and specifically to the northeast) by people migrating from Europe on tiny skin boats along the edge of ice flows. What exactly any of this has to do with the Book of Mormon is not clear.
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| − | Proponents of a Great Lakes setting with Haplotype X DNA markers have told FAIR that they are confident that X is found in Palestine. The proponents had not, apparently, considered the possibility that some X has ended up in Palestine because of European immigration.
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| − | In addition, many of these proponents have not consulted, and hence are quite unfamiliar with, the sophisticated literature already published on the Book of Mormon by believing scholars. For example, they remained unaware of archaelogist John Clark's assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a Great Lakes model.
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| − | ==Conclusion==
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| − | While interesting, at present it does not seem that Haplotype X can serve as good evidence of Book or Mormon antiquity given the problems of dating and the failure of the model to come to grips with textual issues from the Book of Mormon. It also fails to interact responsibliity with a fairly large body of literature which has led most LDS scholars to place the Book of Mormon in Mesoamerica, not the Great Lakes region.
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| − | This conclusion will, of course, need to be revised if further information comes to light.
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| − | ''An additional argument for a Great Lakes setting is made on textual grounds. See FAIR wiki article on [[Book_of_Mormon_geography:New_World:Great_Lakes_geography|Great Lakes setting]]''.
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| − | ==Best articles to read next==
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| − | {{LearnMore}}
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| − | #{{FR-14-1-3}}<!-- Clark-->
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| − | #{{FR-6-2-5}}<!-- Clark-->
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| − | #{{FR-8-2-2}}<!-- Clark-->
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| − | ==Endnotes==
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| − | ''None''
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| − | ==Further reading==
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| − | ===FAIR wiki articles===
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| − | {{BoMGeographyWiki}}
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| − | ===FAIR web site===
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| − | {{BoMGeographyFAIR}}
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| − | ===External links===
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| − | {{BoMGeographyLinks}}
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| − | ===Printed material===
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| − | {{BoMGeographyPrint}}
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