Furthermore, cureloms and cumoms were thought to be more useful to man than horses ether 9. These names are untranslated jaredite terms a variety of potential animals have been suggested, such as llamas, alpacas, mastodons, or other pleistocene mammals. A complete description of the book of mormon geography bomgeography, including an internal map model, external map model i. Jack has anyone identified which animals are being refered to in the book of mormon as cureloms and cumoms. This myth stems from the book of mormon s reference to cureloms, cumoms and elephants. They are unquestionably elephants in the eyes of zoologists, he suggests. And they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms. Hugh nibley then applied the general principles of polos experience to book of mormon animals named in the book of mormon but unknown to our culture. These names come to us through five channels of transmission.
Whatever cureloms and cumons were supposed to be, the book of mormon seems to say that elephants, horses, and asses were widely domesticated by the jaredites. There is no mention in the book of mormon of elephants having existed in the new world during the nephite period. We have seen pictures of elephants, horses and asses and so when we read the word, we form a picture in our minds. They are mentioned in the book of mormon at ether 9 from the context of their mention, it appears that they were large useful animals of some sort that werent elephants. Im waiting for someone to tie it all together and hypothesize that the cureloms and cumoms went extinct after the impact of the giant iron meteor. Donors interested in supporting this work can do so through book of mormon central. People have been criticizing the book of mormon for more than a century. Several latterday saints over the years have attempted to examine. Joseph smith also had and used a seer stone, which was not the the urim and thummim. The cureloms and cumoms could be tapirs and guinea pigs. Ever since the coming forth of the book of mormon, readers have wondered about the strange reference to elephants and especially to its companions the. While they only make a brief appearance in the book of mormon, these unknown beasts might as well be mythical creatures to most scholars, who have little to no evidence of which beasts cureloms and cumoms.
What are cureloms and cumoms spoken of in the book of mormon. Cureloms and cumoms and they also had horses, and asses, and there were elephants and cureloms and cumoms. Miller begins by mentioning the smithsonian institutes history with the book of mormon pp. Indeed, horses may have been used primarily for food. To the inside front cover are affixed four clippings of descriptions of different versions of first edition copies of the book of mormon and of an 1854 edition of the doctrine and covenants, along with a clipping describing the origin of the text of the book of mormon and a bookplate of the shepard book company of salt lake city, utah. Cureloms and cumoms moroni briefly mentions beasts called cureloms and cumoms in ether 9. Includes every geographical place mentioned in the book of mormon. Evidently the animals that are referred to in ether 9. Early mormon apostle orson pratt identified cureloms as mammoths in the journal of discourses 12. Cureloms and cumoms are hapax legomenonwhich is a transliteration of greek meaning appears only once. For addition precolumbian dated horse bones, see miller and roper, animals in the book of mormon, 164. With that caveat, the onomasticon does offer etymologies for some jaredite names, especially if it is possible that some jaredite names were translated into nephite, or were otherwise related to one or more semitic. Archaeological and historical evidence elephants, horses.
But the book of mormon means so much more to latterday saints. Curelom and cumom flora and fauna book of mormon evidence. Elephants werent in america at the time of the bom. Many have assumed that anachronisms in the book of mormon should similarly prove that it must be false, and it is a modern text only posing as an ancient one. Until possible language affinities for jaredite names can be determined, all suggestions for etymologies of jaredite names must remain more speculative than substantive. Question hello gramps, i was studying this morning and i read about something that was interesting to me, though not terrible important. In fact, the first articles criticizing the book of mormon appeared before it was even published. The ancient jaredites used dinosaurs as beasts of burden. Here they make mirrors of highly polished steel, of large size and very handsome. If possible, make copies of the pages for each family member or take turns coloring the animals. Animals in the book of mormon mormon lds reformation. Book of mormon, 1837, page 586 the joseph smith papers.
The authors of this study use archaeological evidence to argue the animals mentioned in the book of mormon had once been present in north america. Is the mention of cureloms and cumons a book of mormon anachronism. The book of mormon is a sacred text of the latter day saint movement, which adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the american continent from approximately 2200 bc to ad 421. Cureloms are an unidentified species of animals mentioned in the book of mormon, and serve as the subject of many debates among latterday saint scientists and theologists. Joseph smith returned the urim and thummin to the angel along with the plates. To nonadherents, these animals are creatures of the book. Wade miller is actually highly qualified an eminent retired professor of geology. A controversial book of mormon verse is found in ether.
Thoughtful insights from 32 top scholars continue the journey into the book of mormons thousandyear span, aiding understanding of this. Readers can interpret the presence of horses in the book of mormon in a variety of different ways. Anachronisms, or out of place items, have long been a subject of controversy with the book of mormon. Animals in the book of mormon june 12, 20 2 comments in scriptural science, scriptural science sticky posts by lbw many book of mormon critics try to show issues or anachronisms with the lists of animals found in its narrative. Cureloms and cumoms are perhaps the most intriguing beasts mentioned in the book of mormon because they are unfamiliar names. The smithsonian has long gotten letters from folks asking about the book of mormon. The book of mormon is an important canon of scripture for members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. These groupings also mean the cureloms and cumoms are confidently closer to elephants than to horses, cows, or any.
The book of mormon, like the bible, contains a record of gods dealings with a part of the house of israel. According to adherents of the latter day saint movement, these animals are thought to have existed in north andor south america. This site can be used as a study guide to help understand the book of mormon. It was first published in march 1830 by joseph smith as the book of mormon. An account written by the hand of mormon upon plates taken from.
In the doctrines and covenants 17, the lord states. False its not really clear where this myth came from, but i have seen it more than once on the internet jokingly referred to as the flintstonian theory. They have plenty of iron, accarum, and andanicum, says marco polo of the people of kobian. It contains prophecies of christ and also reveals how christ, after his resurrection and. The curelom and the cumom are useful animals mentioned in the book of mormon. New evidence for horses in america book of mormon central. Thoughtful insights from 32 top scholars continue the journey into the book of mormon s thousandyear span, aiding understanding of this sacred text. More especially the elephants and cureloms and cumoms. It is interesting to look at criticisms people made of the book of mormon in the past and see how modern research has shown that those criticisms are not valid. Anachronisms in the book of mormon religious studies center.
That would be as true for the book of mormon as it is for any other text if the book of mormon claimed to be an ancient text, but it does not. Yet this approach presents difficulties, for we also have the very specific book of mormon terms, cureloms and cumoms, representing animals which along with elephants were the most useful in the jaredite culture same verse, ether 9. The mention of horses among domesticated animals kept by book of mormon peoples has raised questions in some peoples minds, due to the prevailing view that horses were not found in the americas during precolumbian times. But you say that mammoths died out before the jaredites arrived. When the book of mormon first appeared, skeptics said that references to horses, asses, elephants, and other animals such as swine and cows were out of place. Here are the relevant jaredite scriptures and also all manner of cattle, of oxen, and cows, and of sheep, and of swine, and of goats, and also many other kinds of animals which were useful for the food of man. According to history, the mammoths and mastodons and horses in america soon died upon the arrival of the first settlers in america in 10,000 bc 15,0008. But the book of mormon suggests they are relatively large, able to be domesticated and useful. Most of this brief book deals with various mammals, but there is also a discussion of linen, silk, steel and glass, and some food items. This suggests that a beast of burden in the book of mormon time period most likely would not have been a mammoth, although many latterday saints still persist in displaying cureloms as mammoths in literature and media. A scientists look at book of mormon anachronisms third hour. The following information is from the annotated book of mormon by david hocking and rod meldrum, pages 472474. Book of mormonanimalscureloms and cumoms fairmormon. Before dismissing this book as being promormon, consider that dr.
223 93 1123 370 362 975 1185 1169 791 1487 1351 1278 1160 322 405 472 1397 125 755 104 323 1412 165 286 545 736 849 72 853 1227 1394 399 599 365 1487 1033 898 1403 1250 1395 20