Does DNA evidence disprove the Book of Mormon?

3. Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. 4. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would 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. 5. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Book of Mormon and DNA Changes to the Book of Mormon Introduction 1981: The Church publishes a new edition of the Book of Mormon which adds the claim that the Lamanites are "the principal ancestors of the American Indians." May 2002: Thomas Murphy, an anthropologist and Latter-day Saint, publishes the article "Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics," arguing that DNA evidence challenges Book of Mormon historicity. December 8, 2002: The Los Angeles Times reports Thomas Murphy as saying the Book of Mormon is "19th century fiction," that "Joseph Smith lied," and that he (Thomas Murphy) is scheduled for a "church disciplinary panel" for "apostasy." February 2003: Thomas Murphy and co-author Simon Southerton publish an article in Anthropology News stating that the implications of DNA evidence for the Book of Mormon is a "Galileo Event" for Latter-day Saints. 2003: Scholars with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) publish responses to Murphy and Southerton. November 11, 2003: The Church responds to the DNA controversy in a press release, stating: "Recent attacks on the veracity of the Book of Mormon based on DNA evidence are ill considered . . . however, [the scientific issues relating to DNA] are numerous and complex." November 16, 2004: The Church publishes a new edition of the Book of Mormon (the "Doubleday edition") but retains the "the principal ancestors of the American Indians" wording of the 1981 introduction. 2005: Simon Southerton is excommunicated for "having an inappropriate relationship with a woman." 2006: A second Doubleday edition of the Book of Mormon is published with the introduction changed to read the Lamanites are "among the ancestors of the American Indians." 2007: The Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune publish articles about the change made in the introduction to the new Doubleday edition. 2013: The Church publishes a new official edition of the Standard Works and includes the change made in the introduction to the second Doubleday edition of the Book of Mormon. 2013: The Church publishes the Gospel Topics essay "Book of Mormon and DNA Studies" which concludes with a statement from Elder Dallin H. Oaks saying that "secular evidence can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon." Does DNA analysis disprove the Book of Mormon? It depends on what you believe about the Book of Mormon's historical narrative and geography. (See chart below.)

Much as critics and defenders of the Book of Mormon would like to use DNA studies to support their views, the evidence is simply inconclusive. Nothing is known about the DNA of Book of Mormon peoples. Even if such information were known, processes such as population bottleneck and genetic drift make it unlikely that their DNA could be detected today. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed, “It is our position that secular evidence can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.”[1]

Much as critics and defenders of the Book of Mormon would like to use DNA studies to support their views, the evidence is simply inconclusive. Nothing is known about the DNA of Book of Mormon peoples. Even if such information were known, processes such as population bottleneck, genetic drift, and post-Columbian immigration from West Eurasia make it unlikely that their DNA could be detected today. As Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles observed, “It is our position that secular evidence can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon.”