DNA,
the Book of Mormon, a night of quiet
By Trevor Brasfield
February 1, 2005 | There
were no snide comments or fights even though campus
police were in full force.
Dr. Simon Southerton gave a
speech Friday at the Eccles Conference Center
filled with what he said were facts disproving
aspects of the Book of Mormon. The DNA
evidence he has gathered from some of the world's
leading geneticists, and his own belief in science,
have altered his faith, as well as the faith of
many in attendance.
Southerton -- or Simon, as he
preferred to be called -- hails from Australia
and was LDS for 30 years. He even was a bishop
in the church.
|
DNA AND THE MORMONS:
Former LDS bishop Simon
Southerton,
an authority on DNA, explains how genetic evidence
undercuts
some of the teachings of the Book of Mormon.
/ Photo by Josh Russell |
"It is a great and tremendous church," he
said in opening remarks mainly intended to ouline the
ground rules for the speech. He wanted no outbursts
or other distractions because of the sensitivity of
the subject. Yet he praised and spoke highly of the
church in its own regard.
Most of his speech focused on sophisticated DNA codes
and sequencing. Yet the meat and potatoes of the speech
examined the origins of Native Americans and Polynesians.
Southerton traced them through their DNA and migration
habits, and not to wanderers from Israel, as the LDS
faithful believe.
The speech was originally slated to be given in a small
room, but shortly before Southerton was to take the
podium the speech was moved to a larger auditorium.
It was standing-room-only inside the classroom, and
once it was moved to the auditorium about 40 to 50 people
sat down.
Halfway through the speech, four people got up from
their seats -- in disgust, or maybe boredom -- and left
the auditorium.
Southerton at the end of his speech gave about five
bullet points on what the church should or could do
to improve feelings among the LDS faithful, disaffected
members and those outside the faith. Some of these points
were to stop all teaching that dark skin is a curse,
to deal respectfully with members who clash with science
and the Book of Mormon, and to have the prophet
make a clear statement about what the church believes
and tell the world the church is shying away from the
idea that Native Americans are descendents from Israelites.
The night went off without a hitch, and the post-Mormon
group that sponsored the talk seemed pleased.
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