Tapir’s or Horses in the Book of Mormon?

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Many people who believe in the Mesoamerican theory try very hard to explain why horses are mentioned in the Book of Mormon, when they can’t show horses anciently in Mesoamerica. I believe Hearlanders have an easy answer. We find ancient horses all over in North America.

Below is one way scholars explain horses in Mesoamerica!

“Several theories that attempt to address the issue of pre-Columbian horses are examined in this article, some of which are mutually exclusive. Therefore, not all can be correct. Evidence presented in this article includes (1) archeological evidence for large animals used for draft and transportation; (2) wheeled artifacts showing a person or animal riding on an obviously artificial wheeled platform; (3) the possibility that Book of Mormon peoples referred to native animals such as the Baird’s tapir with names such as horse that they were familiar with; (4) early accounts suggesting that Native Americans had horses too early for them to come from strays that escaped the Spanish conquistadors, especially since the Spanish kept very careful records of their horses; (5) the prevalence of the pinto or piebald horse among Native Americans and its relative absence among Spanish expeditions; (6) images in Mesoamerican art that might depict horses; (7) evidence that horses survived far longer after the last ice age than previously thought; and (8) the question of the Bashkir Curly…

The topic of horses in the Book of Mormon’s depiction of the ancient New World is undoubtedly a controversial one. Although hard evidence is available to consider, so far no incontrovertible proof of Book of Mormon horses exists—that is to say, physical remains conclusively dated to around 500 BC (and earlier) from supposed Book of Mormon lands in Mesoamerica are yet to be found. Because of this, more than any other criticism of the Book of Mormon, its inclusion of horses has generated greater accusation of its supposedly fraudulent nature. The horse is still used in this day and age to cast doubt on the book’s divine origins. Critics have long pointed to the mention of horses as an anachronism and evidence of its modern invention. Since 1830, their mention has seemed a bit problematic, but everyone should remember that the prevailing belief during Joseph Smith’s time (and to some degree, still in ours) was that there were no horses in America before the arrival of the Spanish. Therefore, why mention them at all, especially since they are not an integral part of the storyline?” “Hard” Evidence of Ancient American Horses Author Daniel Johnson BYU Studies Journal 54:3

Below is Jonathan Neville’s way of explaining horses in Mesoamerica!

 

“One of the basic premises of M2C (Mesoamerican 2 Hill Cumorah Theory), is that Joseph Smith didn’t know that much about the Book of Mormon. He was an ignorant farm boy who knew nothing about Mesoamerica, so he didn’t use the Mesoamerican terminology; i.e., he said “horses” when he should had said “tapirs,” he said “tower” when he should have said “pyramid,” etc.” Jonathan Neville

If you would like, you can celebrate World Tapir Day here

In this blog we are having some fun with our fellow friends at Book of Mormon Central. They laugh at us and we at times laugh at them, but we all love the Book of Mormon.


See my blog about Horses in North America below:

BofM Horses in North America