My lexicon had never before contained the word anachronism but I have come to learn that this is a very important word in regards to confirming or disproving the historicity of the Book of Mormon. The simple definition of anachronism is something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.
The anachronisms in the BofM are very obvious when you read them if you take off your spiritual blinders that the church has you wear. I have compiled a list of my favorites here. Please bear in mind, these are summaries and by no means comprehensive. There are links to some of the most common sources I’ve explored so please look to those for good science and research.
Quoting Isaiah- the book of Isaiah was not written by Isaiah but rather one or more other people sometime between 586 B.C. and 538 B.C., after it could have even been known to Lehi.
Horses- they did not exist on the continent until 1493 when Columbus brought them from Europe. There is no fossil evidence for pre-Columbus horses.
Elephants- they did not exist on the continent during the time of any of the inhabitants of the BofM lived on the continent
Barley and wheat- the introduction of domesticated modern barley and wheat to the New World was made by Europeans sometime after 1492, many centuries after the time in which the Book of Mormon is set.
Chariots or wheeled vehicles- there is no archaeological evidence to support the use of wheeled vehicles in Mesoamerica. Many parts of ancient Mesoamerica were not suitable for wheeled transport.
Silk- silk is a material that is created from the cocoon of the Asian moth Bombyx mori, and was unknown to the pre-Columbian Americas.
Windows- the Jaredite people were familiar with the concept of "windows" near the time of the Biblical Tower of and that they specifically avoided crafting windows for lighting in their covered seagoing vessels, because the windows would be "dashed in pieces" during the ocean voyage. The earliest known production of glass dates to 3500 BC in Egypt.
Steel and iron- There is no evidence of steel (hardened iron) production in North, Central, or South America during these periods. The process of smelting these metals leaves significant archeological evidences.
Christ and Messiah- "Christ" is the English transliteration of the Greek word Χριστός (transliterated precisely as Christós). Joseph Smith clearly stated “There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, through the grace of the Lord, translated the Book of Mormon.” The Book of Mormon contains some names which appear to be Greek (e.g. Antipas, Archeantus, Esrom, Ezias, Jonas, Judea, Lachoneus and Zenos).
KJV anachronisms- a significant portion of the Book of Mormon quotes from the brass plates, which purport to be another source of Old Testament writings mirroring those of the Bible. In many cases, the Biblical quotations in the English-language Book of Mormon are close, or identical to the equivalent sections of the King James Version. This shows that Joseph copied errors out of the KJV and placed them in the BofM rather than translate them directly from the plates.
I do not claim that any of these things are “smoking guns” but it certainly stacks the evidence against believers. Red flags do add up don't they?
Links:
FAIRMormon (if you want unreasonable excuses)
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