Today we are joined by Dr. John Lundwall (PhD, comparative myth and religion), to share what he believes is the BIGGEST anachronism in the book of Mormon – the text itself. Using his expertise in ancient religions and how they are practiced, Dr. Lundwall offers an analysis of the religious cultures that exist in the Book of Mormon and how they are inconsistent with any other ancient religious practices. He examines early religious expression through rock art, solar deities, and ritual spaces, highlighting how ancient belief systems were primarily oral, symbolic, and embodied—expressed through ritual, chant, and performance rather than writing. He then contrasts this with the Book of Mormon’s highly text-centered nature, beginning with its very first page. We will also discuss the religious cultures that exist in the Book of Mormon and how they are inconsistent with what we know about ancient societies. Dr. Lundwall explores how writing developed historically, and how religious knowledge was typically preserved and transmitted through oral tradition rather than written records. He will also discuss the “Golden Plates” at length, and share his insight on why their creation would have been highly unlikely for cultures of this time period. Show notes can be found on the Mormon Stories blog here: https://www.mormonstories.org/the-biggest-book-of-mormon-anachronism/ Timecodes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:06:52 - Presentation begins 00:12:52 - Solar rituals in ancient cultures 00:24:34 - No golden plates 00:29:27 - Development of writing 00:41:39 - Five problems with Book of Mormon text 00:46:53 - Timeline of oral and literature mediums 00:54:23 - Symbols vs letters 00:58:16 - Myths in ancient cultures 01:10:49 - Morality creates polytheism 01:21:57 - Cosmic fact vs. historical fact 01:28:43 - Examples of ancient plates 01:49:34 - Nephites are a fully literature culture 01:58:08 - Book of Mormon Calendar 02:00:22 - Allegory of the olive tree 02:15:01 - Closing remarks ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117