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Book of Mormon — Errors and Absurdities

A selection of miscellaneous errors and absurdities in the Book of Mormon.


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Egyptian Language

The Jews held contempt for Egypt, who enslaved them for 430 years. It is absurd to think that the Jews would have recorded their history in ‘the language of the Egyptians’—just as it would be absurd if modern-day Jews recorded their history in the language of Nazi Germany.


Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.

Book of Mormon

— 1 Nephi


1:2

And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian.

Book of Mormon

— Mormon


9:32


Shiz

A decapitated man struggles to breathe.


And it came to pass that after he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised up on his hands and fell; and after that he had struggled for breath, he died.

Book of Mormon

— Ether


15:31


Ancient Submarines

In the Book of Mormon narrative, around 2500 BC the Jaredites built submarines.


And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges....

Ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea....

And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea....

They were encompassed about by many waters....

And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.

Book of Mormon

— Ether


2:16, 24; 6:6-7, 10

Thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood.

Book of Mormon

— Ether


2:20


Babylonian Exile

The Book of Mormon begins with a prophet named Lehi warning Jerusalem to repent or the city will be destroyed and its people taken captive. In response the people mock him.


For it came to pass in the commencement of the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah, (my father, Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days); and in that same year came many prophets, prophesying unto the people that they must repent, or the great city Jerusalem must be destroyed....

And the inhabitants thereof; many should perish by the sword, and many should be carried away captive into Babylon....

The Lord has shown so many marvelous things unto my father, Lehi, yea, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, behold he went forth among the people, and began to prophecy.... And it came to pass that the Jews did mock him.

Book of Mormon

— 1 Nephi


1:4, 13, 18-19

[Nebuchadnezzar] carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valour, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths: none remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

Holy Bible

— Prophet Jeremiah


2 Kings 24:14

And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon... and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

Holy Bible

— Prophet Jeremiah


2 Kings 24:12

And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon....

And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

Holy Bible

— Prophet Jeremiah


2 Kings 24:15, 17

Lehi, having dwelt at Jerusalem in all his days.

Book of Mormon

— 1 Nephi


1:4

And it came to pass that he [Lehi] departed into the wilderness. And he left his house, and the land of his inheritance, and his gold, and his silver, and his precious things, and took nothing with him, save it were his family, and provisions, and tents, and departed into the wilderness.

Book of Mormon

— 1 Nephi


2:4


King Solomon’s Temple Replica

In the Book of Mormon narrative, the Jews who settled in the New World constructed a replica of Solomon’s Temple.


And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon.

Book of Mormon

— 2 Nephi


5:16

Solomon's Temple Nephi's Temple

Now send me skilled men to work in gold, silver, brass and iron; and in purple, crimson and blue... to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance.

Holy Bible

— Ezra

Priest and Scribe
2 Chronicles 2:7, 9

Book of Mormon

— 2 Nephi


5:15


Two Battles, One Hill

The Book of Mormon repeats a fantastical narrative of two races, 800 years apart, who battle on the same hill, with only one survivor to recount their annihilation.


Jaredites:
Shiz vs. Coriantumr
Nephites vs. Lamanites
Timeline Migrated to the New World around 2500 BC. Migrated to the New World around 610 BC.

Lamanites are cursed with dark skin and split from the Nephites.
All inhabitants gather for war Ether 15:12, 15 Mormon 6:2, 5
Battle at Hill Cumorah Ether 15:11

Hill called ‘Ramah’ by Jaredites
Mormon 6:2
Total annihilation, only one survivor Jaredites annihilated, Coriantumr last survivor.

Ether 15:29-31, Omni 1:21
Nephites annihilated, Moroni last survivor.

Mormon 8:2-3
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Book of Mormon — 5,000 Changes
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