Index to claims made in Reinventing Lamanite Identity, by Brent L. Metcalfe
This is an index of claims made in this work with links to corresponding responses within the FAIRwiki. An effort has been made to provide the author's original sources where possible.
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Claim
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Response
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Author's sources
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20
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- The author claims that "the Book of Mormon teaches—that "the Lamanites...are the principal ancestors of the American Indians."
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- "Introduction," Book of Mormon (1981 edition).
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20
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- The author claims that LDS scholars have been led to "shrink and dilute" the Book of Mormon's "American Israelite" population as the result of DNA analysis showing that Native Americans have an Asian genetic signature.
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- The author argues that LDS scholars or apologists are "shrinking and diluting" their view on the Book of Mormon because they are being driven back in a rear-guard action by science. But, in fact, some LDS leaders and scholars have argued for a restricted geography and small numeric contribution of Lehites for over one hundred years. These beliefs were not held because of scientific "pressure," but because of their reading of the Book of Mormon text.
- See: Limited geography theory
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- The author quotes a number of genetic studies.
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20
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- Author's quote: As BYU geneticist Michael Whiting stipulates, a hemispheric colonization model for the Book of Mormon “is indeed incorrect” and “appears falsified by current genetic evidence.”
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- The fragments quoted by the author in context:
If we grant that the global colonization hypothesis is the correct lineage history...the above hypothesis is indeed incorrect. To this point all we have shown is that the global colonization hypothesis appears falsified by current genetic evidence. But is the global colonization hypothesis the only hypothesis emerging from the Book of Mormon? This is the crux of the matter....if the above description of the lineage history in the Book of Mormon is oversimplified, then these genetic results demonstrate only that this oversimplified view does not appear correct. But Book of Mormon scholars have been writing about certain complicating factors for decades, so this conclusion about oversimplification really comes as no surprise. (emphasis added)
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- Michael F. Whiting, “DNA and the Book of Mormon: A Phylogenetic Perspective,” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12, no. 1 (2003): 28, 31. off-site
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21
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- The author notes that others were "prophetically precluded" from inhabiting the land occupied by Lehi's people. He cites
And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance. Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves . . . and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritance; and they shall dwell safely forever. 2 Nephi 1꞉8-9
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- The author quotes from 2 Nephi. Note that there are several uses of the word "land" in the passage:
- "this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations."
- "those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem."
- The "land of Jerusalem" is a very small geographical area, yet Lehi's promised land is completely undefined in scope. The author applies the term "land" to mean the entire North and South American landmass. Is it really reasonable to assume that there would be "no place for an inheritance" on two continents for Lehi's people if anyone else was inhabiting the America's at the time?
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- 2 Ne. 1:8–9; see also John C. Kunich, “Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Population Sizes,” New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology, ed. Brent Lee Metcalfe (Salt Lake City: Signature Books,
1993), 261–62.
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21
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- The author goes on, quoting 2 Nephi 1:10-11, to note that the Lord would bring others nations to "take away from them the lands of their possessions" and cause them to be "scattered and smitten" when they "dwindled in unbelief."
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- The author seems to be assuming that this refers to other nations coming across the ocean to scatter and smite Lehi's people. Yet, this passage is completely consistent with others outside the land occupied by Lehi's people coming to take away the Nephites' lands when they became wicked. The Book of Mormon certainly describes many times that the Nephites descended into wickedness. Each time they were "scattered and smitten" by the Lamanites. If the descendants of Laman and Lemuel joined others who were in lands outside of Lehi's "promised land," this promise would be completely and adequately fulfilled. The "other nations" referred to in the scriptural passage could easily have existed on the American continents.
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21
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- Nephi talks of the Gentiles coming upon the land of promise and scattering the seed of his brethren.
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- This passage is often interpreted to mean the arrival of Europeans and their subsequent scattering of existing Native American populations.
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21
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- The author states that the "promised land" encompasses North America, since it must account for the prophesied arrival of British and European settlers, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the construction of a New Jerusalem.
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- None of the scriptures cited by the author in support of this claim specify that the Gentiles that were to arrive were "British or European." The only other citation is Vogel. This may be Vogel's opinion.
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- 1 Ne. 13:12–42; 3 Ne. 20:13–14, 22; 21:2–7, 22–24; Ether 13:2–11; D&C 10:48–51; 19:27; 84:2–5;
- see Dan Vogel, Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2004), 407–09.
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