I’ve asked myself time and time again. Did the Book of Mormon actually exist?
I can’t see any archaeological evidences which suggest the Plates existed. To be honest, I haven’t really looked hard for it. But if there were such artefacts to support the “physical realness” of the book, I’d imagine it would be available in some museum? I’d be able to run a Google check and see an image of some crusty relic promising truth to the collective history of the America’s as the Book of Mormon states. Qualified Archaeologists have tried and come up empty handed as the below quote from Religious Tolerance has indicated.
“Archeologists and other scholars have long probed the hemisphere’s past and the society does not know of anything found so far that has substantiated the Book of Mormon.” Statement by the National Geographic …”
http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds_migr.htm
Yet despite the lack of evidence authenticating the book, as I begin to read the story I understand why millions of people choose to revere it and hold it dear to their hearts. The book promises a truth that is so hard to find for some people in this day and age. It helps them to make sense of the senseless cruelty in their life with various metaphors that leave room for “individual” interpretation. So my opinion on whether the book is real or not is based more on what it brings now.
What does it matter it if it actually existed? If the words of the book today offer a person a choice to believe in life, brings them hope and a positive view of their days and dealings with everything around them and offers a remorseful person a chance to start anew. If the book furthers a positive way of thinking and being, furthering a better community and humanity, why should it be wrong?
Of course we can’t deny a sceptical point of view; a healthy debate over facts and fiction is necessary. To know more we need to question more and even then we will never know as much as we do now, so more questions are good. I’m sure there may be some sceptics who have impressions of the Book of Mormon being nothing more than a well crafted hoax. I’ll say this in favour of the story (or collection of stories), it has the right sort of hooks to snag a curious spirit with ancient mystery and omnipotent magic diarised as actual events. If a person chooses to believe in its authenticity and even its message, it’s no different to a person believing The Bible to be true. Even so far as to say The Lord of the Rings was a depiction of an actual age on Earth (I can just imagine a huddle of people holding worship to the words of Tolkien as metaphoric prophesies – lol!). I guess when it comes to the power of God, we must be careful in what we believe. One person has the power to hurt millions if this person consumes themselves in a faith which encourages the road of death and pain to salvation or leaves room for misinterpretation; Osama Bin Laden is an example and Charles Manson another.
So far, I haven’t received any threatening vibes from the Book of Mormon but a sense of journey. I see the people who practice the lessons of the book, community driven and keen to offer everyday guidance (The Word of Wisdom) and a chance to learn more of ones past. I think the ancient Mayans believed to know the past is to understand the present and to understand the present is to see the future (don’t quote me on this as I’m not sure but I have heard this from somewhere before as I sourced through Mayan history and lore), so it’s admirable of a religious order to help anyone they can with their ancestry. I guess the actions of Latter Day Saint people will determine the truth of the Book of Mormon through their devotion to understanding its events and morals, and applying its well meant lessons to their lives. In this sense, it would prove the books authenticity.
