As explained in Earliest European Farmers Left Little Genetic Mark On Modern Europe, the first settlers in Europe are believed to have been Paleolithic hunter-gatherers who arrived about 40,000 years ago. About 7,500 years ago people migrated to Europe and brought farming to that area. The question thus arises, are modern Europeans descended from the hunter-gatherers, the farmers, or both?

DNA was obtained from skeletons of early farmers, and the DNA contained “genetic signatures that are extremely rare in modern European populations. Based on this discovery, the researchers conclude that early farmers did not leave much of a genetic mark on modern European populations.” In fact, ‘”Our paper suggests that there is a good possibility that the contribution of early farmers could be close to zero,” said Science author Peter Forster from the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, UK.’

The situation given in the Science article is that of two migrations to an area, and the DNA of the later migration not occurring in the people presently living in that area. Since Europe, today, is an agricultural society, the early farmers in the later migration had a significant impact on the culture of Europe, even though they left basically no lasting genetic evidence of their existence. “It’s interesting that a potentially minor migration of people into Central Europe had such a huge cultural impact,” said Forster.”

This is an interesting parallel with the Book of Mormon. Science tells us of early migrations to the Americas from Asia via the Bering Strait. The Book of Mormon tells of a later migration (the Lehites) from the Mediterranean area. However, DNA studies of modern Native Americans show that the Native Americans who were studied have no DNA markers from the Mediterranean area. Apologists for the Book of Mormon have explained that DNA markers from a group of people could die out and thus not be found in modern people (see, for example, Addressing Questions). However, their comments seemed like rationalizations since they could not offer examples from science of DNA markers “dieing out”. We now have from science, as explained in the article from Science magazine, a knowledge of two migrations to Europe and a knowledge that the second migration had a great influence in the culture of Europe but the DNA from this later migration does not occur among modern people currently living in Europe. That is, the DNA markers from the second migration have “died” out. This does not “prove” the Book of Mormon to be true. It is merely a parallel between science and the Book of Mormon. One importance to Latter-day Saints of this parallel is an understanding that the DNA of the American Indians is not necessarily a complete map of the migrations to the Americas.

[1] http://convergencesciencereligion.org/2008/05/parallel-migrations-to-americas-part-6.html

Mr Smith did not as far as I know make any direct refferences to biological forms of life elsewhere, but somewhere he did refer to the planet Kolob…any thoughts on this?
terry

For better or worse, we all make decisions about who we are going to marry and what religion we are going to follow. Once those decisions are made, one should not look back with regret. The happiness of our families is at stake. I believe that God is forgiving. If we happen to pick an incorrect religion but live that religion with honor, we will still receive blessings. At this point, I don’t think that any religion is absolutely true, nor do I think that any religion is completely false. The Truth is found in bits and pieces from many sources and in many religions.

I now accept the fact that the BOM is not a literal history. However, I still believe the BOM is inspired, even if it is not divine. I think that all of this discussion about DNA has made me a lot less smug and lot more understanding about other religions. Bottom-line, we should all strive to live honorable lives. This end goal should be enough. Whatever happens in the after life, for me, it is what it is, and it will be enough. Personal actions speak louder and count more than beliefs or creeds.

brk

Typical rick… you’re such a Lamanite. ;-)

This is new. You might want to break it to the FAIR boys that they’ve had it wrong all these years…

The Lord don’t give a rats, pardon the pun, of who’s who in the crew; really, He created “casts” so as we as human BEINGS can know that Wrong can only go so far, but Good is eternal and everlasting, and ‘How high is up? don’t tell me cause I don’t wont to know!

To be a Lamanite, is to be lost from the Lords path, not a particular blood line that is best left for the tea parties of those who talk with a plum in their mouth, for they, them themselves are Lamanites.

The best way to solve a problem is, don’t talk about it at all, for to do so only adds to the confusion and breeds the same.
The Lord will do his own work in his own time! He said so.

PS I am looking to speak with a so say “Lamanite” or rather a Native American LDS or other regarding a pacific belief that pre dates 2000 years or so.

My email: andrewjohnburridge@yahoo.com.au

Are you suggesting the Church restrict it members in what they can and cannot believe? Do you also believe the world is flat? That was religious teachings in the not too distant past.

I don’t believe in carbon dating. Maybe as a church we should not believe in DNA testing.

Obviously it’s the introduction to the Book of Mormon that introduces this confusion.

I’m not sure that it is obvious. Inf act, I would propose that the BOM introduction is a result of the confusion, not a cause of it.