Vol. 7, No. 8, 1990

Articles on Mormonism

Marsha Norton

Scientific research continues to prove that the teachings of the Book of Mormon are in error. A common assumption in the 1800's was that the American Indians were descendants of the Jews (that is, the lost tribes of Israel).

During Joseph Smith's time, several books were written speculating about this idea, and thus the Book of Mormon was not unique in this regard.

A genetic researcher, Douglas Wallace of Emory University in Atlanta, stated that "nearly all American Indians are descendants of a single small band of pioneers who walked across what is now the Bering Strait from Asia...," (Las Vegas Review Journal, 27 July 1990, p. 9A).

According to his report, "The descendants of this hardy group make up 95 percent of American Indians, including the Mayans, Incas and many others spread throughout North, Central and South America," (Ibid).

His report directly contradicts the LDS Church's video Ancient America Speaks which is shown in thousands of prospective proselytes' homes.

Wallace based his findings on studies of the genes that are related to the body's energy production. These energy producing genes, are passed on to children only by their mother, not by their fathers.

Therefore, genetic resear¬chers are able to trace maternal ancestry.

Wallace's research indicates that the vast majority of American Indians descended from this very small original group migrating across the Bearing Strait (Ibid).