I went to the Oriental Institute museum today at UIC. While I was there, I took pictures of a few ancient Mesopotamian items that you won't find in Mesoamerica. These are some examples of why the "bones dissolve in the tropical climate" argument (which is problematic in and of itself, anyway) just doesn't cut it. In a culture that has domesticated horses and that even utilizes them in warfare, these valuable animals leave traces besides just bones. Mesoamerican iconography is chock full of depictions of animals. Why no horses? Why are there no statues, figurines, rein rings, chariot wheels, or reliefs depicting horses, like we find in Mesopotamia?
Very good point. I hadn't thought of horses in the cultural artwork before, but it is a natural. Horses are/were valuable assets to all cultures that had them. That is why I have argued that even if the Nephites had totally been destroyed, the victors (Lamanites) would have continued with horse tradition. Horses would not have been allowed to go extinct.
CK, your post shows an ignorance of LDS doctrine that borders on mendacity.
There is an obvious reason why horses are not depicted on Nephite art from Mesoamerica. They were sacred (though not secret of course). The sacred (and hence unmentionable) character of everything equine was set out by the prophet Joseph Smith when in an unpublished revelation he wrote "Verily I say unto thee: ye shall speak unto the people a load of horse-shit, and it shall be unto you a way of living without working, and shall enable thou to bed a multitude of nubile virgins." (Note the flexible pronoun use, a hall-mark of the authentic prophetic voice.)
In my view this thread, which has obvious and offensive stable content, repugnant to those who live the Restored Gospel, should be moved to the Telestial Forum at once.
Chap wrote:CK, your post shows an ignorance of LDS doctrine that borders on mendacity.
There is an obvious reason why horses are not depicted on Nephite art from Mesoamerica. They were sacred (though not secret of course). The sacred (and hence unmentionable) character of everything equine was set out by the prophet Joseph Smith when in an unpublished revelation he wrote "Verily I say unto thee: ye shall speak unto the people a load of horse-s***, and it shall be unto you a way of living without working, and shall enable thou to bed a multitude of nubile virgins." (Note the flexible pronoun use, a hall-mark of the authentic prophetic voice.)
In my view this thread, which has obvious and offensive stable content, repugnant to those who live the Restored Gospel, should be moved to the Telestial Forum at once.
Chap wrote:CK, your post shows an ignorance of LDS doctrine that borders on mendacity.
There is an obvious reason why horses are not depicted on Nephite art from Mesoamerica. They were sacred (though not secret of course). The sacred (and hence unmentionable) character of everything equine was set out by the prophet Joseph Smith when in an unpublished revelation he wrote "Verily I say unto thee: ye shall speak unto the people a load of horse-s***, and it shall be unto you a way of living without working, and shall enable thou to bed a multitude of nubile virgins." (Note the flexible pronoun use, a hall-mark of the authentic prophetic voice.)
In my view this thread, which has obvious and offensive stable content, repugnant to those who live the Restored Gospel, should be moved to the Telestial Forum at once.
Chap wrote:CK, your post shows an ignorance of LDS doctrine that borders on mendacity.
There is an obvious reason why horses are not depicted on Nephite art from Mesoamerica. They were sacred (though not secret of course). The sacred (and hence unmentionable) character of everything equine was set out by the prophet Joseph Smith when in an unpublished revelation he wrote "Verily I say unto thee: ye shall speak unto the people a load of horse-s***, and it shall be unto you a way of living without working, and shall enable thou to bed a multitude of nubile virgins." (Note the flexible pronoun use, a hall-mark of the authentic prophetic voice.)
In my view this thread, which has obvious and offensive stable content, repugnant to those who live the Restored Gospel, should be moved to the Telestial Forum at once.
Wow! that's more reasonable of a nexplanation than the apologists can come up with.
And crawling on the planet's face Some insects called the human race Lost in time And lost in space...and meaning
TAK wrote:Clearly .. just like why god took the gold plates back.. allowing examples of horses would make believing too easy ..
very simple.
I think this wil ultimately be the argument, and it is a safe haven for apologists to ultimately retreat. I've also heard God changed the DNA of the Lamanites. Since god can do anything, he theoretically could take away ALL Book of Mormon evidence and replace it with contrary evidence, just to test our faith. It's a good strategy for apologists because it fits right in with magical religious thinking.
"We of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"It's wrong to criticize leaders of the Mormon Church even if the criticism is true." - Dallin H. Oaks
KimberlyAnn wrote:I agree with Sunstoned. Excellent point, CaliforniaKid, and nice pics, too.
KA
Thanks. There was all kinds of neat stuff in that museum. I posted a few more (non-BoM-related) pics from the trip on my blog. My favorite is the one that shows me standing next to the Nineveh cherub. You really don't realize how enormous those things are until you see them in person. Even the picture of me getting completely dwarfed by the thing doesn't do it justice.