Horses in the Book of Mormon

[Not Buying It]

This just in - remember this Arnold Friberg picture of Helaman and the 2,000 Stripling Warriors?

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Archaeologists have just unearthed an actual picture of Helaman leading his young warriors:
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This preserved image is actually of Thranduil, an Elvin King I first met while my friends were being held captives in his prison in middle earth. I was able to sneak in and break by friends free from the prison. We escaped by floating down a river in wooden barrels while Orcs tried to kill us. True story. The magic ring I used on occasion to hide was similar in power to the magic stones used by Joseph Smith many years later. Thranduil was a great king.

Ha! That’s hilarious!

[slavereeno]

This preserved image is actually of Thranduil, an Elvin King I first met while my friends were being held captives in his prison in middle earth. I was able to sneak in and break by friends free from the prison. We escaped by floating down a river in wooden barrels while Orcs tried to kill us. True story. The magic ring I used on occasion to hide was similar in power to the magic stones used by Joseph Smith many years later. Thranduil was a great king.

I feel like we could make an entire website defending Tolkien's writings as true historical writings that would be more convincing than FAIR, using apologetic tactics. Frankly, it might be easier since Tolkien is a more talented writer. I mean middle earth could be anywhere, we just haven't found it yet, you know its a limited geography. Scientists found a "hobbit" skeleton once so that proves it true. The books have helped me a lot in my life and taught me good things so it must be true! Ent is probably a loan shifted term for a giraffe...

[moksha]

I feel like we could make an entire website defending Tolkien's writings as true historical writings...

That is why adding the LOTR, the Silmarillion, the Lost Tales, Smith of Wooton Major, Farmer Giles of Ham, and Leaf by Nigel into the LDS Canon would be beneficial. Knowing about Beren and Lúthien could help us better understand the star fated Joseph and Emma, et al.

[Hagoth]

Horses in the BoM seem to have become an almost cartoonish icon of belief vs. apostasy. Critics laugh at the horses in Mesoamerica and apologists laugh at the critics for getting stuck on one tiny issue that can be addressed, they say, by loan-shifting. The thing is, if all of a sudden someone found mountains of evidence for horses in the Americas during the BoM period, it would still make very little difference. Believers would say, "see! that PROVES the Book of Mormon is true!" and critics would say, "ok, I'll scratch that one off my list of the top 100 Book of Mormon anachronisms. Now, about Isaiah..."

[GoodBoy]

What is telling is that Joseph very, very rarely quoted or reference the Book of Mormon. He didn't consider it authoritative. Instead he referenced his own thoughts and brain for "new revelarion", which he did consider to be authoritative.

[slavereeno]

What is telling is that Joseph very, very rarely quoted or reference the Book of Mormon. He didn't consider it authoritative. Instead he referenced his own thoughts and brain for "new revelarion", which he did consider to be authoritative.

This is so very true, when shelf was breaking I told DW I would read the BoM again. I read it in 4 days, and when I got done, I was left scratching my head as to how Mormonism even comes from the BoM. It has almost nothing to do with anything that distinguishes us from other religions. I was astonished that the BoM is the "cornerstone" of our religion. I couldn't find myself as impressed with it as I was told in church I would be. Its really not that great.

[Palerider]

What is telling is that Joseph very, very rarely quoted or reference the Book of Mormon. He didn't consider it authoritative. Instead he referenced his own thoughts and brain for "new revelarion", which he did consider to be authoritative.

This is so very true, when shelf was breaking I told DW I would read the BoM again. I read it in 4 days, and when I got done, I was left scratching my head as to how Mormonism even comes from the BoM. It has almost nothing to do with anything that distinguishes us from other religions. I was astonished that the BoM is the "cornerstone" of our religion. I couldn't find myself as impressed with it as I was told in church I would be. Its really not that great.

It's only import is as a proof of Joseph's prophetship. It's quality (or lack of it) has little to do with anything. Once it is realized as being false scripture, Joseph, his teachings and his church crumble. It truly is the keystone of the "religion".

[John G.]

Didn’t you NoM’s get the memo? When the BOM uses the word, “horses,” what they really are refering to are animals called tapirs! ...If you’d known this important information you probably wouldn’t have become NOMs! Back to church!


From the article:

7. Tapir.
In my opinion, a more likely candidate for the Nephite loan-shift “horse” would have been the Central American tapir. Tapirs are one of only a few odd-toed ungulates–a family that includes the horse, zebra, donkey, onager, and the rhinoceros. These large grazing animals have common traits, including an odd number of toes on each hoof, a large middle toe, and a relatively simple stomach (as compared to other grazing animals like cows who regurgitate their cud for digestion).

[Hagoth]

Didn’t you NoM’s get the memo? When the BOM uses the “horses” what they really are refering to are animals called tapirs!

"C'mon Flicka, let's go round up the cureloms"

[wtfluff]

Didn’t you NoM’s get the memo? When the BOM uses the “horses” what they really are refering to are animals called tapirs!

"C'mon Flicka, let's go round up the cureloms"

FLICKA! (Thanks for that nephite-horse related giggle.)

[Archimedes]

Well, you can be sure that the Urim & Thummim did not have a direct translation for "one-toed ungulates." It makes sense that the translation got butchered as "horses."

Oops, it looks like I've stepped in a pile of one-toed ungulate dookie.