According to one survey of people who have left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 65% said, “I lost faith in the Book of Mormon.” Apparently, DNA and the Book of Mormon is one of the reasons that some people have lost their faith. I would like to set the record straight concerning this issue.
Between 2001 and 2004, I was involved in several discussions and conferences where the issue of DNA and the Book of Mormon was addressed. To my knowledge, I was the person who initiated a discussion of the problematic wording in the Introduction, which was not actually part of the Book of Mormon. The result of those discussions and conferences was a change in the Introduction to the Book of Mormon, which was first added to the front matter of the Book of Mormon in 1981, from: “After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians.” (1981-2002) to “After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.” (since 2006; underlines added).
On Sunday, March 24, at 5 pm, I will be giving a Fireside about those discussions and conferences, which culminated in the wording change in the Introduction. Where possible, I would love to give this same Fireside in other places and at other times, or have small group or individual discussions — in order to reach as many people as possible with this message. See the attached flyer for details.
Trent Dee Stephens, PhD
(208) 240-4994
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