A Smithsonian Magazine article titled “ Native Americans Spread Horses Through the West Earlier Than Thought ” (2023) has been circulating in Mormon spaces as supposed proof that horses existed in the Americas during Book of Mormon times. The article summarizes a legitimate scientific study published in Science titled “ Early Dispersal of Domestic Horses Into the Great Plains and Northern Rockies .” (2023) But when you read what the researchers actually found, it’s clear this does not support the Book of Mormon’s claims at all. What the Study Actually Found The research team, led by William Timothy T. Taylor, analyzed horse remains found across the Great Plains and northern Rockies. Using radiocarbon dating, DNA sequencing, and isotopic analysis, they discovered that the animals were of Spanish origin. In other words, these were not remnants of ancient, native North American horses that somehow...
Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s 1985 BYU address “Reading Church History” reveals how the LDS Church frames history and criticism. In this video, I break down Oaks’s six main points—scientific uncertainty, context, half-truths, bias, balance, and evaluation—and highlight his statement that church literature is not meant to tell both sides. We’ll also look at his claim that even true criticism of church leaders is unacceptable.