John Lund has provided a long piece on the Book of Mormon and the Law of Moses. It's a helpful contribution in many ways, but he stumbles when he advocates the Mesoamerican setting.
Here is an example of his assertions: For example, the Lamanites came to battle dressed only in a loincloth and their heads were shaven from 544 BC (Enos 1:20) to AD 21 (3 Nephi 4:7). It is difficult to believe that the Lamanites would come to battle naked except for a loincloth in a climate like Buffalo, New York, or Zarahemla, Iowa, that was not conducive to year-round nakedness.
3 Nephi 4:7 actually says:
7 And it came to pass that they did come up to battle; and it was in the sixth month; and behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come up to battle; and they were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood.
So while Lund wants his readers to believe the Lamanites were dressed only in loincloths, the actual text here says they wore armor, including head-plates. The wearing of lamb skin around the loins is not exclusive of other clothing; it is symbolic. https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/JBMRS/article/viewFile/19817/18384
There are accounts in other parts of the world of people wearing a lamb skin around the loins in combination with blankets of skins. E.g., http://bit.ly/lambskincloth
True, in Alma 43:20, the Lamanites were naked except for a loin cloth, but the Nephites were dressed in thick clothing and breastplates and arm plates and head plates. In hot, humid Mesoamerica, such clothing would be a detriment, not a benefit. (I know from personal experience, having gotten heat stroke in the jungle just because I was wearing jeans instead of light pants.) Note too that only the Lamanites were naked; the Zoramites and Amalekites were clothed. The fact that on a few occasions the scriptures say the Lamanites wore only loin cloths doesn't mean they didn't wear more clothes at other times.
Lund cites Alma 51:33 and suggests that nowhere in North America can there be "the heat of the day" between March 21 and April 25th. One wonders whether Lund engages in anything other than confirmation bias when he conducts research. A 10-second google search produces this:
April 10, 1930: A RARE SUMMER-LIKE HEAT WAVE DOMINATED MUCH OF THE MIDWEST DURING THE 10TH AND THE 11TH. ON THIS DATE...ROCKFORD RECORDED 93 DEGREES...THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED FOR THE CITY DURING APRIL. THE NEXT DAY THEY SET ANOTHER RECORD WITH 88 DEGREES. CHICAGO WASN'T SPARED...WHERE A RECORD-SETTING 90 DEGREES WAS RECORDED ON THE TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
Lund claims "the North American continent was in a cooler cycles in 67 BC than it is today" but his link doesn't work. At any rate, the climate is always subject to heat waves. We just happen to have a record of one to show it's possible.
Meanwhile, Lund claims the Nephites are fighting in armor and thick clothing in 80-90 degree weather with high humidity (and as much as 8 inches of rain per month).
In Ohio, the museums depict the ancient inhabitants as both wearing woven clothing and loincloths. It seems logical that one would adapt to the weather, due to the nature of the climate.
At any rate, Lund's analysis of the Law of Moses in Mesoamerica addresses very few of the requirements the people would have needed to faithfully keep the law. He doesn't discuss the issue of ramps vs stairs, cut vs uncut stones, and many other aspects.
His assertions regarding Mesoamerica vs. North America do not hold up to either the text or the facts of climate, geography, etc.
Here is an example of his assertions: For example, the Lamanites came to battle dressed only in a loincloth and their heads were shaven from 544 BC (Enos 1:20) to AD 21 (3 Nephi 4:7). It is difficult to believe that the Lamanites would come to battle naked except for a loincloth in a climate like Buffalo, New York, or Zarahemla, Iowa, that was not conducive to year-round nakedness.
3 Nephi 4:7 actually says:
7 And it came to pass that they did come up to battle; and it was in the sixth month; and behold, great and terrible was the day that they did come up to battle; and they were girded about after the manner of robbers; and they had a lamb-skin about their loins, and they were dyed in blood, and their heads were shorn, and they had head-plates upon them; and great and terrible was the appearance of the armies of Giddianhi, because of their armor, and because of their being dyed in blood.
So while Lund wants his readers to believe the Lamanites were dressed only in loincloths, the actual text here says they wore armor, including head-plates. The wearing of lamb skin around the loins is not exclusive of other clothing; it is symbolic. https://ojs.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/JBMRS/article/viewFile/19817/18384
There are accounts in other parts of the world of people wearing a lamb skin around the loins in combination with blankets of skins. E.g., http://bit.ly/lambskincloth
True, in Alma 43:20, the Lamanites were naked except for a loin cloth, but the Nephites were dressed in thick clothing and breastplates and arm plates and head plates. In hot, humid Mesoamerica, such clothing would be a detriment, not a benefit. (I know from personal experience, having gotten heat stroke in the jungle just because I was wearing jeans instead of light pants.) Note too that only the Lamanites were naked; the Zoramites and Amalekites were clothed. The fact that on a few occasions the scriptures say the Lamanites wore only loin cloths doesn't mean they didn't wear more clothes at other times.
Lund cites Alma 51:33 and suggests that nowhere in North America can there be "the heat of the day" between March 21 and April 25th. One wonders whether Lund engages in anything other than confirmation bias when he conducts research. A 10-second google search produces this:
April 10, 1930: A RARE SUMMER-LIKE HEAT WAVE DOMINATED MUCH OF THE MIDWEST DURING THE 10TH AND THE 11TH. ON THIS DATE...ROCKFORD RECORDED 93 DEGREES...THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED FOR THE CITY DURING APRIL. THE NEXT DAY THEY SET ANOTHER RECORD WITH 88 DEGREES. CHICAGO WASN'T SPARED...WHERE A RECORD-SETTING 90 DEGREES WAS RECORDED ON THE TWO CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
Lund claims "the North American continent was in a cooler cycles in 67 BC than it is today" but his link doesn't work. At any rate, the climate is always subject to heat waves. We just happen to have a record of one to show it's possible.
Meanwhile, Lund claims the Nephites are fighting in armor and thick clothing in 80-90 degree weather with high humidity (and as much as 8 inches of rain per month).
In Ohio, the museums depict the ancient inhabitants as both wearing woven clothing and loincloths. It seems logical that one would adapt to the weather, due to the nature of the climate.
At any rate, Lund's analysis of the Law of Moses in Mesoamerica addresses very few of the requirements the people would have needed to faithfully keep the law. He doesn't discuss the issue of ramps vs stairs, cut vs uncut stones, and many other aspects.
His assertions regarding Mesoamerica vs. North America do not hold up to either the text or the facts of climate, geography, etc.
The Spaniards reported the Aztec used "armor" similar to what is described in the Book of Mormon. In fact, the Spaniards often preferred to wear the Aztec-style armor because it was lighter and more maneuverable compared to
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