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A calm, honest look at what the Church's own essay says.
Some people say: "DNA proves the Book of Mormon is false." If you have heard this, you may feel worried or confused. This is a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer. Let us look at what the Church actually says.
What Is the Question?
The Book of Mormon tells about small groups of people who travelled from the Middle East to the Americas long ago. Some people expect that the DNA of Native American people today should show Middle Eastern roots.
But scientists have found that most Native American DNA is linked to East Asia. Critics say this means the Book of Mormon story is not true.
The Church's Gospel Topics essay, "Book of Mormon and DNA Studies," replies that this conclusion is too quick. Here is why.
Why DNA Cannot Settle This Question
- We do not know the DNA of Book of Mormon people. There are no samples from them. Scientists cannot look for something they cannot identify.
- The groups were small. Imagine adding one spoon of sugar to a big lake. After many years, you cannot find that sugar. In the same way, a small family's DNA can disappear when it joins a much larger population.
- Populations change over time. War, disease, and other disasters can remove some family lines completely.
- Later history changed the picture. After Europeans arrived in the Americas, many native people died, and many new people moved in. This makes old DNA even harder to trace.
That is why the essay says:
"DNA studies cannot be used decisively to either affirm or reject the historical authenticity of the Book of Mormon."
— Gospel Topics Essay, "Book of Mormon and DNA Studies"
The essay is also honest about science itself: "The conclusions of genetics, like those of any science, are tentative."Science keeps learning, and its answers can change.
Did the Book of Mormon People Live in an Empty Land?
No. The Book of Mormon does not say that Lehi's family was alone in the Americas, or that they were the only ancestors of the people who live there now. Many people believe other people are already living there.
The Church also made this clearer in the book's Introduction. In 2006, the words "the principal ancestors of the American Indians" were changed to "among the ancestors of the American Indians."
The Church also does not take an official position on exactly where in the Americas these events happened.
What Is the Book of Mormon's Main Purpose?
The essay says: "Although the primary purpose of the Book of Mormon is more spiritual than historical…"
The writers of the book wanted to testify of Jesus Christ and show how God works with His children. They were not writing a full history of every person in the Americas.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained it this way in 2001:
"It is our position that secular evidence can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon."
— Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "The Historicity of the Book of Mormon" (2001)
How Can You Know If the Book of Mormon Is True?
The Book of Mormon does not ask you to test it with a laboratory. It invites you to ask God:
"Ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."
— Moroni 10:4
The essay says that for many people who do this sincerely, the Book of Mormon "stands as a volume of sacred scripture" that brings them closer to Jesus Christ.
In Summary
DNA science cannot prove the Book of Mormon. It also cannot disprove it. Questions are welcome, and honest answers exist. The Book of Mormon was written to bring people to Jesus Christ, and every person can test it through prayer.
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