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The Book of Mormon Describes Non-Horse Nations

Kelekna’s findings can be applied to Book of Mormon civilizations to discern whether the Jaredites, Nephites, or Mulekites evolved with or without the services of Equus caballus. That is, her research can classify Book of Mormon peoples as horse nations or non-horse nations based on historical descriptions of the same topics she has identified.

Agriculture: More than sixty passages refer to agriculture in the Book of Mormon, but none mention the horse contributing. The Jaredites may have used a beast to pull a plow-like tool: “And they did make all manner of tools to till the earth, both to plow and to sow, to reap and to hoe, and also to thrash. And they did make all manner of tools with which they did work their beasts” (Ether 10:25–26). To “till” the “land” or “ground” is also repeatedly referenced, but none of the verses specifically describe a horse pulling a plow.

Transportation: Transportation in the Book of Mormon never explicitly involves horses. Author Orson Scott Card observes: “In the Book of Mormon, nobody rides anywhere. … People in Joseph Smith’s day rode everywhere they could — on either a horse or a wagon.” Likewise, for moving materials or products, “There is no question that the basic means for transporting goods in Mesoamerica has always been the human back,” notes John L. Sorenson. “No phrasing anywhere in the record indicates land transport other than on the backs of humans.” This appears to apply to transportation throughout North America during the Book of Mormon period. While llamas transported goods in areas of South America for centuries, they were too small to routinely transport adults.

Chariots: The Book of Mormon contains six references that associate horses with “chariots,” but one of them is mentioned only as part of a quoted Bible passage (2 Nephi 12:7). The Lamanite King Lamoni has horses and chariots and is later described as “journeying,” but whether it was on foot, by horse, or by chariot is not specified (Alma 20:8). Chariots with wheels are not described in the Book of Mormon. Wheeled effigies have been identified in the Americas, but as John L. Sorenson explains: “Scholars have long operated on the assumption that the wheel was unknown in ancient American technology. The Book of Mormon implicitly agrees.” So assuming Lamoni’s “chariots” had wheels may not be justified. One definition for chariot in the Oxford Dictionary specifies “a stately vehicle for the conveyance of people,” and “vehicle” is defined as a “receptacle in which anything is placed in order to be moved.” Wheels would assist in moving but are not implicit in the definitions.

Traveling Distances: The distances described in the Book of Mormon are always defined according to foot-travel speeds. This account and all other accounts describing journeying in the Book of Mormon fail to mention horses, wagons, carriages, or coaches, which would have vastly improved travel speeds and efficiency.

Slow Communications: The slowness of communications in the Promised Land is consistent with foot travel (rather than the more rapid transmission of information via horse travel). This is demonstrated as Alma addresses “the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla” (Alma 7:3). He immediately declares repentance and puts the church in order there. Then, “When Alma had made these regulations he departed from them, yea, from the church which was in the city of Zarahemla, and went over upon the east of the river Sidon, into the valley of Gideon, there having been a city built, which was called the city of Gideon” (Alma 6:7). The journey does not seem far. The river Sidon was close to Zarahemla and the valley on the other side of the river. Whether it is ten miles, twenty, or even thirty, it seems a short distance. Alma discovers that the inhabitants of Gideon were “not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren” (Alma 7:6). Consequently, he reports: “I shall also have joy over you” (Alma 7:5). Although separated by a relatively short geographic distance, the perversions of the Zarahemla residents had apparently not traveled to the city of Gideon

Warfare: The Book of Mormon references eighty-five instances of armed conflict. Many of the accounts contain detailed descriptions of operations, strategy, and military tactics. William J. Hamblin has identified many of the intricacies of wars discussed (in no particular order):

* prebattle war councils

* guerrilla warfare techniques

* communal bases of military loyalty

* patterns of flight after the battle

* weapons technology and typology

* divination before battle

* extensive scouting and spying

* the ideology of holy war

* seasonal patterns in warfare

* treatment of robbers as brigands

* military implications of geography and climate

* recruitment based on tribes and communities

* limited use of animal resources

* importance of plunder in warfare

* the use of only pre-gunpowder weapons

* ritual capture of kings

* fortifications

* ritual destruction of cities

* social and economic impact of warfare

* human sacrifice

* agricultural economic base

* treatment of prisoners

* laws of war

* disposal of the dead

* complex prebattle maneuvering

* centrality of war to the elite culture

* use of banners for mobilization and organization

* camp purity to gain divine assistance

* proper tactical role of missile and melee combat

* the military implications of changing demographic patterns

* the problems of supplying soldiers in times of war

* the importance of oaths of loyalty and surrender

* religious ritual behavior before, during, and after battle

* the fundamental interrelationship between war and religion

Despite these types of described war details in the numerous battles, “no animal is ever mentioned as being used for military purposes … animals did not play a significant role in Book of Mormon warfare, either in battle or for transportation of war supplies.”

Horsemeat: Another possible benefit of horses involves horsemeat. “Horses almost certainly were first domesticated for use as food animals, like cattle or pigs,” writes Sandra Olsen. Historically, many civilizations have included horsemeat in their diets, but not in recent millennia.

In temperate Eurasia … horsemeat was highly regarded and these tastes can be traced back a very long way. During the last great Ice Age horsemeat was a staple in the diet of Homo sapiens; it has now become clear how widespread and how longlasting was this dependence on horsemeat.

Four verses in the Book of Mormon place horses with animals that might be used for food (1 Nephi 18:25, Enos 1:21, 3 Nephi 4:4; 6:1).

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