Are “anachronisms” proof that the Book of Mormon is a modern forgery—or are critics leaning on outdated data? In this intro episode, we break down what anachronisms actually are and walk through a massive new study that tracks 226 critical claims from 1830 to today. The result? About 77% of those supposed anachronisms now have archaeological or historical support in the ancient Old and New Worlds. 

We’ll explain in plain language:

What an anachronism is (and why George Washington with a machine gun is a "perfect" example)

How horses, steel, cities, roads, cement, and other “impossible” Book of Mormon details have fared as archaeology has advanced

Why translation, loan-shifting (like calling a peccary a “pig”), and limited excavation in the Americas matter for this discussion

How Matt Roper’s new Interpreter Foundation study updates earlier work by John Clark and shows the Book of Mormon aging surprisingly well in light of new evidence 

At Informed Saints, we study hard and bring our receipts. This episode is your intro to anachronisms: what critics claim, what the data actually say, and why Latter-day Saints can be both faithful and intellectually honest about ancient texts.

Sources:

https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jmh/article-abstract/48/4/1/318163/Apologetics-and-Antiquity-Book-of-Mormon-Reception

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/john-bernhisels-gift-to-a-prophet-incidents-of-travel-in-central-america-and-the-book-of-mormon

https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-did-the-lord-command-the-three-witnesses-to-rely-upon-his-word

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/john-bernhisels-gift-to-a-prophet-incidents-of-travel-in-central-america-and-the-book-of-mormon/

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/591852

https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/jeffersons-excavation-native-american-burial-mound/

https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/anachronisms-accidental-evidence-in-book-of-mormon-criticisms-introduction/

https://www.nsf.gov/science-matters/horses-part-indigenous-cultures-longer-western

https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/why-things-move-a-new-look-at-helaman-12-15

https://www.byui.edu/speeches/kim-b-clark/the-prophet-joseph-smith

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