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Difference between revisions of "Plants in the Book of Mormon"
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===Source(s) of the Criticism=== | ===Source(s) of the Criticism=== | ||
| − | * | + | *Latayne Colvett Scott, ''The Mormon Mirage : a former Mormon tells why she left the church'' (Grand Rapids : Zondervan Pub. House, 1979), 82–84. |
| + | *James White, ''Letters to a Mormon Elder'' (Southbridge, MA: Crowne, 1990), 139. | ||
==Response== | ==Response== | ||
| − | ==Barley== | + | ===Barley=== |
| − | ==Linen (i.e. flax) | + | Barley in the New World was long a source of anti-Mormon amusement, with one author insisting, "barley never grew in the New World before the white man brought it here!" [Scott, 82.] |
| + | |||
| + | Unfortunately for Ms. Scott, this is simply false. New World barley has been known since 1983 [Sorenson and Smith]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Linen=== | ||
| + | ''(i.e. flax)'' | ||
:[The Spaniards] encountered and referred to what they considered "linen" or linenlike cloth made from plants other than flax [Sorenson, "Zaputo," 335-336].[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142] | :[The Spaniards] encountered and referred to what they considered "linen" or linenlike cloth made from plants other than flax [Sorenson, "Zaputo," 335-336].[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142] | ||
| − | ==Neas== | + | ===Neas=== |
| + | This crop is mentioned but once (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/9/9#9 Mosiah 9:9]). We do not know what it applied to, but this does not count ''against'' the Book of Mormon's claims. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Sheum=== | ||
| + | One must credit Joseph Smith with a bullseye on this issue: | ||
| + | |||
| + | :The name rather obviously derives from Akkadian (Babylonian) "she'um," barley (Old Assyrian, wheat), "the most popular ancient Mesopotamian cereal name."<small>[Sorenson, "Zaputo," 338; citing Robert F. Smith, "Some 'Neologisms' from the Mormon Canon," Conference on the Language of the Mormons 1973, Brigham Young University Language Research Center, 1973, 66.][http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142]</small> | ||
| − | + | We do not know to which crop this name was applied, but it is certainly not out of place in an ancient context (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/9/9#9 Mosiah 9:9]). | |
| − | ==Wine (i.e. grapes)== | + | ===Silk=== |
| + | ''(i.e. mulberry leaves and silkworms)'' | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===Wine (i.e. grapes)=== | ||
:[The Spaniards] spoke of "vineyards," not planted in grapevines but in maguey plants, from which pulque, which they termed "wine," was manufactured. Half a dozen different types of "wine" made from fruits other than grapes were identified by the Spanish explorers...[another researcher also] reports the Opata of northern Mexico used a drink made from native grapes.[Sorenson, "Zaputo," 335-336].[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142] | :[The Spaniards] spoke of "vineyards," not planted in grapevines but in maguey plants, from which pulque, which they termed "wine," was manufactured. Half a dozen different types of "wine" made from fruits other than grapes were identified by the Spanish explorers...[another researcher also] reports the Opata of northern Mexico used a drink made from native grapes.[Sorenson, "Zaputo," 335-336].[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142] | ||
| + | |||
| + | So, there ''were'' grapes locally, as well as several other plant species which produced alcoholic drinks which the Spanish were quite happy to consider 'wine.' | ||
==Conclusion== | ==Conclusion== | ||
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===Printed material=== | ===Printed material=== | ||
| − | |||
* John L. Sorenson, "Plants and Animals," in "Viva Zapato! Hurray for the Shoe!" Review of "Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography," by Deanne G. Matheny, ''Review of Books on the Book of Mormon'' 6:1 (1994): 342–48.[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142],[http://gospelink.com/library/doc?doc_id=288327] | * John L. Sorenson, "Plants and Animals," in "Viva Zapato! Hurray for the Shoe!" Review of "Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography," by Deanne G. Matheny, ''Review of Books on the Book of Mormon'' 6:1 (1994): 342–48.[http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?table=review&id=142],[http://gospelink.com/library/doc?doc_id=288327] | ||
* John L. Sorenson and Robert F. Smith, "Barley in Ancient America," in ''Reexploring the Book of Mormon'', edited by John W. Welch (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 130–2. | * John L. Sorenson and Robert F. Smith, "Barley in Ancient America," in ''Reexploring the Book of Mormon'', edited by John W. Welch (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 130–2. | ||
Revision as of 22:49, 20 October 2005
This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
Contents
Criticism
A brief explanation of the criticism.
Source(s) of the Criticism
- Latayne Colvett Scott, The Mormon Mirage : a former Mormon tells why she left the church (Grand Rapids : Zondervan Pub. House, 1979), 82–84.
- James White, Letters to a Mormon Elder (Southbridge, MA: Crowne, 1990), 139.
Response
Barley
Barley in the New World was long a source of anti-Mormon amusement, with one author insisting, "barley never grew in the New World before the white man brought it here!" [Scott, 82.]
Unfortunately for Ms. Scott, this is simply false. New World barley has been known since 1983 [Sorenson and Smith].
Linen
(i.e. flax)
- [The Spaniards] encountered and referred to what they considered "linen" or linenlike cloth made from plants other than flax [Sorenson, "Zaputo," 335-336].[1]
Neas
This crop is mentioned but once (See Mosiah 9:9). We do not know what it applied to, but this does not count against the Book of Mormon's claims.
Sheum
One must credit Joseph Smith with a bullseye on this issue:
- The name rather obviously derives from Akkadian (Babylonian) "she'um," barley (Old Assyrian, wheat), "the most popular ancient Mesopotamian cereal name."[Sorenson, "Zaputo," 338; citing Robert F. Smith, "Some 'Neologisms' from the Mormon Canon," Conference on the Language of the Mormons 1973, Brigham Young University Language Research Center, 1973, 66.][2]
We do not know to which crop this name was applied, but it is certainly not out of place in an ancient context (See Mosiah 9:9).
Silk
(i.e. mulberry leaves and silkworms)
Wine (i.e. grapes)
- [The Spaniards] spoke of "vineyards," not planted in grapevines but in maguey plants, from which pulque, which they termed "wine," was manufactured. Half a dozen different types of "wine" made from fruits other than grapes were identified by the Spanish explorers...[another researcher also] reports the Opata of northern Mexico used a drink made from native grapes.[Sorenson, "Zaputo," 335-336].[3]
So, there were grapes locally, as well as several other plant species which produced alcoholic drinks which the Spanish were quite happy to consider 'wine.'
Conclusion
A summary of the argument against the criticism.
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
Plants in the Book of Mormon
FAIR web site
- FAIR Topical Guide:
External links
- Links to external web pages
Printed material
- John L. Sorenson, "Plants and Animals," in "Viva Zapato! Hurray for the Shoe!" Review of "Does the Shoe Fit? A Critique of the Limited Tehuantepec Geography," by Deanne G. Matheny, Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 6:1 (1994): 342–48.[4],[5]
- John L. Sorenson and Robert F. Smith, "Barley in Ancient America," in Reexploring the Book of Mormon, edited by John W. Welch (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book and FARMS, 1992), 130–2.