We don't claim to know specifically where the events of the Book of Mormon took place. Early members assumed that the Nephites and Lamonites spread out over all of the Americas. More recently, we have come to think that they were limited to Central America. However, we don't claim to have any definitive evidence for any location. Add to this the fact that, after the final battle, Moroni (the last Book of Mormon prophet) wandered for about 36 years hiding from his enemies. In that time he could have wandered all the way from Cape Horn to the Nova Scotia. So, the place where the plates were eventually buried in no way indicates that is where the final battle occurred. Moroni never tells us where he buried them. Again, the early members just assumed that he buried them in the same hill that his father hid all the rest of the Nephite records, which is also where the final battle occurred. ********* "Rodric Johnson: Correct I must admit. Moroni never said the hill was Cumorah, but Joseph did." Can you provide an authoritative source for this assertion? I know of none. However, if Joseph Smith did say that it was the Hill Cumorah, then I would just say that he was basing that assertion on the same false assumption that the rest of the early Latter-day Saints were operating on, namely that the Book of Mormon people were spread over the entire North and South American continents. Also, I would ask another question of those that try to use this against the Book of Mormon. How do you explain the lack of archeological evidence of a large encampment of people around Mount Sinai? A community the size of the camp of Israel should have left a lot of debris behind when they left, but there is none there. Additionally, there is and was not enough water at Mt. Sinai a community the size of the camp of Israel. So, were the people who told us that that is where Israel encamped lying to us or were they just mistaken? ********* ScienceGeek, the thing that you are conveniently forgetting is that we have never claimed that our prophets are absolutely infallible. They are mortals just like the rest of us. As such they are subject to making mistakes and falling for the false ideas of their times. It is only when they are speaking for God that they are infallible. If, and I emphasize the if, Joseph Smith did say that that was the hill Camorah, then he was operating under the same false assumption that others of his time were. Now, I emphasized the if because, as of yet, no one has provided any sources that show that Joseph Smith ever made the claim that the hill from which he took the plates is the same one where the final battle between the Nephites and Lamonites occurred. Without that your arguments are moot anyway.

The same way that archaeologists explain the lack of evidence of a big battle at Troy, and in fact were firmly convinced that Troy was a myth until it was found in the 1880s. This despite the fact that Troy stood on flat, bare ground. There is no flat, bare ground anywhere in upstate New York that wasn't made that way by men in the last 250 years. Until the 18th century, it was completely covered with trees, lakes, swamps and the scars from glaciers. Today, less than 20% of the land has been cleared and dug. The answer? People pick up things and take them away to use elsewhere (blocks from the Nauvoo Temple have been found in farm walls many miles from Nauvoo), not to mention the fact that the terrain in the "Finger Lakes Region" encourages flooding and mud flows. Farmers frequently dig up tools which they themselves had lost in prior seasons. It is very unlikely that footprints from even the largest army would have survived 1600 years in such an environment.

My father-in-law lived in the general area, he said they used to find arrowheads by the baskets full.

Faith dosent need proof.

Some of the other answers show how blind and slippery Mormons are taught to be about FACTS that may refute their mythology, so first I will address that it is Official LDS doctrine that the hill Cumorah in NY is the same hill as is discussed in the Book of Mormon. This information is taken from the website: http://www.utlm.org/onlineresources/cumorah.htm First in the document it states: Every year in July the LDS Church produces the Hill Cumorah pageant in Palmyra, New York. This pageant places the final scenes of the Book of Mormon in that location. Moroni, the last one to record on the gold plates, supposedly buried the records in the hill sometime after 421 AD. Years later, Moroni, now an angel, appeared to Joseph Smith to direct him to the deposit in the hill. (Science Geek Continues) Then after a bit it shows this letter from the LDS First Presidency's Office to one of its Bishops: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Office of the First Presidency Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 October 16, 1990 Bishop Darrel L. Brooks Moore Ward Oklahoma City Oklahoma South Stake 1000 Windemere Moore, OK 73160 Dear Bishop Brooks: I have been asked to forward to you for acknowledgment and handling the enclosed copy of a letter to President Gordon B. Hinckley from Ronnie Sparks of your ward. Brother Sparks inquired about the location of the Hill Cumorah mentioned in the Book of Mormon, where the last battle between the Nephites and Lamanites took place. The Church has long maintained, as attested to by references in the writings of General Authorities, that the Hill Cumorah in western New York state is the same as referenced in the Book of Mormon. The Brethren appreciate your assistance in responding to this inquiry, and asked that you convey to Brother Sparks their commendation for his gospel study. Sincerely yours, (signed) F. Michael Watson Secretary to the First Presidency (Science Geek continues) So that should settle the dispute as to what LDS church doctrine is about that local and its history. The Answer to the original question is that Mormons cannot explain the disparity between their doctrine and reality any better than the Catholics could as they hung onto a flat Earth located at the center of the Universe. The most parsimonious answer to that question is that Mormonism is all made up except for the things that Joseph Smith stole from the Masons, Christians and Pagans. So, my former Mormon brothers and sisters, especially my good buddy Glenn, is it, or is it not, LDS doctrine that the hill Cumorah was the site of at least one great battle in the Book of Mormon? Should I pose this as a new AB question so that you can down rate me for asking it?

There were actually two great battles there, according to the Book of Mormon. Chemical testing of a few core samples taken from the area would easily reveal whether or not there was ever a large battle there. Added: Here is an example of what we can do today using remote sensing techniques: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070103110314.htm Corrected: They used to teach that about the time the family of Lehi arrived in the promissed land another group also arrived from Jerusalem, the Mulekites. They met the last of the Jaredites who were brought to the promised land at the time of Babel. He gave them the Book of Ether. He was the last human alive, as far as he knew, in the New World. That was official doctrine in my youth. Now that DNA evidence has demonstrated that Native Americans are of Asian origin they have modified their doctrine. The reason that it was the promissed land is that there was nobody else there!

Why do you rely on proof to believe your faith? Why do you need to see things to know God is there? Do you see the wind? No, but you know it is there, because you see the effects that it creates. To me, the historical points don't matter. I know that God sent His son to save me from myself. If you need proof to believe, then you're not ready to believe.

Because it didn't happen? Because there is no archaeological or anthropological evidence of any of the races having existed...anywhere...because they didn't. Because DNA can prove Indians aren't from the middle east (on goes the list)The better question is: Why would Joseph Smith lie? The answer is for personal gain. The guy was a fraud artist who practiced everything from being a member of other religions (post revelation) to false magic, to locating buried treasure. He had no idea that science would prove him a liar in the future (remember his translation of the Egyptian text) nor did he likely care. The next best question is: why do Mormons who appear to be rather bright in other aspects of their life actually believe this complete BS? Worse, when they realize it's crap, they continue to educate their kids in this cult. Two things are infinite: human stupidity and the universe; and we're not sure about the universe.

They don't. They simple dance around these types of issues. They used to be encouraged to look into there chuirch to see if it is real. Know there is so much information that the church is false, but they do not want to let go of there dream and they do not want to look stupid for believing a con artist. So they struggle to hold on to what little bit of faith they have. The sad thing is, science and men will soon have such compelling evidence and all those who turned Jesus into an equal and turned God into a man, it will have been to late and they will spend eternity in hell.

By the same craftiness that Joe Smith promoted his religion by. Research http://www.utlm.org/ The Bible makes it clear that Jesus ascended up to Heaven and will come again the same way (Acts 1). and unlike the Bible, there is absolutely no archaeological evidence of the giant battle that supposedly took place in NY. Not even one knife. "What I would say to you is there is no archeological proof of the Book of Mormon. You can look all you want. And there's been a lot of speculation about it. There've been books written by Mormon scholars saying that "this event took place here" or "this event took place here." But that's entirely speculative. There is absolutely no archeological evidence that you can tie directly to events that took place." - http://www.4truth.net/site/c.hiKXLbPNLrF/b.1002759/k.1C10/Chapter_3__Archaeology_and_the_Book_of_Mormon.htm http://www.watchman.org/lds/bmzero.htm http://www.exmormon.org/fourteen.htm http://www.ondoctrine.com/conversa/3morm006.htm http://www.letusreason.org/LDS3.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_cosmology http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_War

Because it's total bullsheet like everything else people preach about.

One of the biggest problems we have had in trying to physically prove the Book of Mormon, is not knowing exactly where to look. Until now! Recently Non-Mormon Scientists have discovered a new strain of DNA which is most unusual. They didn't know what to call it so they just gave it the name of Haplogroup x2. And another surprising fact they discovered is, there are ONLY two areas of the world where this particular strain of DNA can be found. 1.Among the native American Indians found in United States, in Ohio, Missouri, Illinois,and all the way up to the northern part of United States, around the Great Lakes, Cumorah area, and the most southeastern portion of Canada, near the Great Lakes. 2.Europe, primarily, Israel, Belgium, Italy, and a couple of other European countries. They have tested people from all over the world. They could not find even one case in all of Asia, or Africa, or Mongolia, or even in Central or South America. They have concluded that the American Indians had to come by boat, from Europe. They have also discovered that the Hopewell Indians, or better known as "Mound Builders" existed during the same time as the Book of Mormon describes. Aprox.200 BC-400 AD. And they have also discovered that although several thousand of the mounds have been plowed under by farmers living in the area, there are still several thousands of mounds all over the areas of the States I have mentioned. Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, etc. all the way to the Great Lakes area. And after excavating several mounds they found hundreds and thousands of men, women and children, killed in battle, with arrows and spears and hatchets and helmets and shields, etc. Which they have turned over to several of the Museums in those States. Now of course you Protestants and Catholics will say,"Joseph and his friends hid all those bodies in all those mounds, just to make himself look good." but that is not all, they have found whole cities built exactly like cities described in the Book of Mormon, and no where else! They have found Temples which resemble Salomon's Temple in those areas as well. And they have only scratched the surface. There is much more to come forth, just wait and see...Later

One would think that with a "prophet, seer, and revelator" currently running the show in Mormonism, would be able to point to this area and say: Dig Here! And you'll find the evidence you're looking for. And yet... not one of them since the time of old Joe has been willing to do so. They claim that nearly the entire race of Nephites died in said battle, along with their steel swords and other battle arms. Despite many other ancient battle sites- http://forum.egyptiandreams.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3824&sid=b86d940b43d8b589eb20bb0c739d4dd6 The key difference between battles in the book of Mormon and real life- is that in real life there are victors who bury their dead and scavenge the bodies for remains. According to the B.O.M. no one was around to bury bodies. True, many vultures and ravens had a field day. But I very much doubt that they would flown off with the swords and battle weapons and hidden them. Got tarpits? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Brea_Tar_Pits Many of those remains go way back long before 1600 years. Got Kennewick man? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennewick_Man He's a LOT older than 1600 years.

They keep pointing to the future and claiming that a future archeological discovery will vindicate the Book of Mormon. For example: “And let me here say a word in relation to new discoveries in our knowledge of the Book of Mormon, and for matter of that in relation to all subjects connected with the work of the Lord in the earth. We need not follow our researches in any spirit of fear and trembling. We desire only to ascertain the truth; nothing but the truth will endure; and the ascertainment of the truth and the proclamation of the truth in any given case, or upon any subject, will do no harm to the work of the Lord which is itself truth. Nor need we be surprised if now and then we find our predecessors, many of whom bear honored names and deserve our respect and gratitude for what they achieved in making clear the truth, as they conceived it to be—we need not be surprised if we sometimes find them mistaken in their conceptions and deductions; just as the generations who succeed us in unfolding in a larger way some of the yet unlearned truths of the Gospel, will find that we have had some misconceptions and made some wrong deductions in our day and time …” So there you go! Oh the source for that citation? B. H. Roberts, New Witnesses for God, II, The Book of Mormon, in three volumes, Vol. III [circa 1909], pp. 503–4. Yes, folks that was written in 1909 - a hundred (100) years ago and NOTHING has changed since Elder Roberts wrote it.