America's Israelites:

The Story of the Mormons

Session Four: The Book of Mormon

This fourth session course looks at the text that stands at the heart of the LDS faith: The book of Mormon.

Reading: The Book of Mormon; Robert M. Bowman Jr. (2017) An Introduction to the Book of Mormon

Video:LDS: The Book of Mormon Documentary; The Book of Mormon Videos; The Book of Mormon - in 8 Minutes; Science Magazine on Mormon Archeology in Central America.

Study Questions:

  1. What was the Land of First Inheritance and where is it alleged to have been?
  2. Who was Lehi and what was his role in the Book of Mormon?
  3. How did he descendants of Lehi deal with existing Meso-American cultures?
  4. The Book of Mormon talks about "The Land of First Inheritance," The Land of Nephi," "The Land of Zarahemla." It also talks about "Land Northward" and Land Southward." According to the video for this session, where do these lands lie and taken together what do they describe?
  5. What features from the Book of Morman do Mormon archeologists believe can be found in Meso-America?
  6. What lasting traditions, institutions, artifacts and practices does Christianity enjoy today that began with Constantine?
  7. What is the difference between the Nephites and Lamanites in the book of Mormon?
  8. What ultimately became of the culture established by the Nephites and the Lamanites?