B. H. Roberts's Testimony

71 Primary Sources

Date
Summary
1566

Diego de Landa calls the fiber (kapok) of the Ceiba tree "silk."

1807

Francesco Saverio Clavigero makes reference to Spanish comparing native fibers to silk.

Jan 28, 1908

Richard Rathbun tells Charles A. Shook that the Anthon manuscript has no relationship to American or Middle Eastern languages.

1910

Charles A. Shook criticizes BOM claims about metallurgy, horses, etc.

Aug 22, 1921

W. E. Riter inquires of James E. Talmage about Book of Mormon questions.

Aug 22, 1921

W. E. Riter encloses questions from Mr. Couch for B. H. Roberts about BOM issues.

Nov 11, 1921

GWM comments on difficulty of WER's questions, answers them.

Dec 1921

Janne Sjodahl explains how others may pre-date/co-exist with Book of Mormon peoples.

Dec 3, 1921

RVC acknowledges difficulty of providing scientific answers re: indigenous Americans.

Dec 20, 1921

WER gives BOM questions to JET, writes BHR.

Dec 28, 1921

BHR promises to answer WER's questions.

Dec 29, 1921

BHR writes report highlighting seriousness of BOM questions/issues.

Jan 1, 1922

BHR says JS could have used creative imagination to write BOM.

Jan 4, 1922

James E. Talmage uses Book of Mormon as evidence for horses in America.

Jan 9, 1922

BHR articulates his disappointment on the meeting with HJG over BOM.

Jan 31, 1922

BHR comments on the need to have stronger apologetics for the BOM.

Feb 2, 1922

JET reports on meeting with BHR, JAW, AI re: BOM.

Feb 6, 1922

BHR comments on difficulty in answering Mr. Couch's questions.

Mar 15, 1922

BHR writes report on his confidence in solving BOM difficulties.

Apr 28, 1922

JET meets with JHM over BOM difficulties.

May 1922

Janne M. Sjodahl criticizes "higher criticism" of Bible and BOM in Juvenile Instructor.

Oct 1926

B.H. Roberts affirms in 1926 that he thinks BOM objections can eventually be answered.

Oct 24, 1927

B. H. Roberts thinks research on Ethan Smith and View of the Hebrews would be helpful to future apologists.

Apr 1928

BHR thanks God for bringing forth BOM.

1928

BHR comments on antiquity of BOM.

1928

B. H. Roberts says "ancient American race" represented in Book of Mormon.

Apr 1929

B.H. Roberts says D&C and BOM have equal weight in inspiration.

Apr 1930

BHR speaks to BOM's divinity and prophetic qualities.

Apr 9, 1930

B.H. Roberts describes the Book of Mormon as historic text in April 1930 General Conference.

Dec 1932

BHR offers testimony of JS.

Aug 7, 1933

Wesley Lloyd reports on conversation with B.H. Roberts about Church's reaction to studies.

Jul 22, 1939

B. H. Roberts son denies his father lost his testimony in the Book of Mormon.

Jan 1956

BHR charts similarities between View of the Hebrews and BOM.

1957

Clayton E. Ray writes on potential for Pre-Columbian horses in Journal of Mammalogy.

1967

Matthew Wallrath calls native fiber "wild silk."

Oct 1977

Robert Madden et al. make reference to "steeled iron" in the 10th century B.C.

1980

Truman G. Madsen offers summary of B.H. Roberts's advocacy for the Church.

1980

Truman G. Madsen mentions B.H. Roberts being described as the "warhorse."

1980

BHR died of complications related to diabetes.

Dec 1983

Truman G. Madsen comments on B.H. Roberts's BOM studies in the Ensign.

1985

John L. Sorenson provides evidence of loan-shifting in Mesoamerica.

Dec 1985

TGM records ESH's comments about BHR remaining a believer in the BOM during his BOM Study.

Dec 31, 1985

John W. Welch's summary of Book of Mormon research since B. H. Roberts.

Mar 1986

JW celebrates BHR's BOM studies.

1990

Amihai Mazar makes reference to a pick from the 11th century B.C. "made of real steel."

1992

BDM comments on BHR's belief in the BOM.

1992

Mary LeCron Foster's 1992 presentations on correspondences between Old World and New World languages.

1992

John L. Sorenson argues that the Book of Mormon contains strong implicit support for "others" being in the land when Lehi arrived and their being incorporated into the Nephites and Lamanites.

1992

Mark J. Fretz in the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary makes reference to "sickle swords" in pre-exilic Israel.

1993

Robert Drews makes reference to, and provides image of, a "sickle sword" in pre-exilic Egypt.

1996

Margaret R. Bunson and Stephen M. Bunson list "wild horses" among animals in Mesoamerica that went extinct from around 11,000-7,000 B.C.

Jun 1996

Richard F. Keeler makes argument for identification of Mr Couch.

2003

Daniel C. Peterson and Matthew Roper discuss plausibility of Book of Mormon "horses" being Mesoamerican tapirs.

2004

Daniel C. Peterson and Matthew Roper discuss plausibility of BOM "horses" being Mesoamerican tapirs.

Nov 17, 2004

JAT argues for presence of "others" in BOM Lands based on presence of idolatry among BOM peoples.

2005

JEC gives an overview of the growth in the BOM's historical accuracy since its initial publication.

May 2005

BTO argues for presence of "others" in BOM lands based on Helaman 5-7.

Jul 17, 2005

Philip Ireland writes about the discovery of the skeleton of a horse that may have lived and died 50 years before Spanish conquered California.

2006

John E. Clark gives an overview of the growth in the Book of Mormon's historical plausibility since 1830.

Dec 29, 2009

James Haile et al argue for dating of horse remains in Alaska to 10500 years BP based on sedimentary DNA analysis.

2013

John L. Sorenson theorizes that Book of Mormon "horses" may have been Mesoamerican tapirs.

2013

Church listing Book of Mormon changes to Introduction re: Native American principal ancestors.

2015

Brian D. Stubbs's book-length study of connections between Afro-Asiatic and Uto-Aztecan languages.

2016

Beau Abernathy and Marten Krijgsman calls one of Goliath's weapons on 1 Samuel 17:45 (Hebrew כידון, kydwn) a "scimitar."

2017

Wade E. Miller and Matthew Roper give an overview of modern scholarship and "horses" in the Book of Mormon.

2018

Anthony P. Andrews and Fernando Robles Castellanos on Horses Surviving into Post-Pleistocene Times in Mesoamerica.

Dec 2019

SCM's MA Thesis arguing BHR did lose faith, evidenced by 1922 meetings with Church leadership.

2020

Brian D. Stubbs responds to criticisms of his work on the relationship between Afro-Asiatic and Uto-Aztecan languages.

Dec 8, 2021

Tyler J. Murchie et al. publish paper on DNA research of 3000BC North American horses.

Dec 9, 2021

Smithsonian Magazine publishes a story on new evidence of North American horse DNA as recently as 5,000 years ago.

2022

Wade E. Miller et al. publishes evidence for horses in the Americas during the Post-Pleistocene/Pre-Columbian era.