FAIR
Book of Mormon anachronisms
FAIR Latter-day Saints
Anachronism arguments assume (1) we have a complete faunal and botanical record and (2) English words in a revealed translation must map one-to-one onto Linnaean species. Neither is true. Cement, barley, and large urban sites were once 'anachronisms' and then were found. Remaining issues are best read as translation choices or incomplete data — not as a gotcha.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, especially for animals whose bones do not survive well in Mesoamerican soils.
- Joseph translated into King James vocabulary, not scientific taxonomy.
- Several former anachronisms (cement, barley, large cities) have archaeological counterparts.
- Loan-shift is normal when a culture meets a new animal or crop.