Introduction

The text of the Book of Mormon refers may times to metals, forges, and metal processing. There are three kinds of problems for interpreting those statements: (1) Internal textual problems. What do the words mean? How are they to be translated in terms of modern languages? (2) Problems with archaeological correlations specific to the New World. Conventional scholars say that no metals were used in Mesoamerica during the period of Book of Mormon history, and, furthermore, that certain kinds of metals apparently indicated by the text are never evidenced in the archaeological remains in that area. (3) Archaeological and historical problems concerning the Near East. The metallurgical background of the migrating peoples (Jared and his party, Lehi and his group, and Mulek and his) as described by scholarly sources is sometimes said not to square with statements or implications in the Book of Mormon text about that background.

The material presented in this study is intended as an aid to addressing these three problems in Book of Mormon studies. I plan to produce an explication of the textual and scholarly materials according to my understanding at some time in the future. Meanwhile, others may find my materials useful for their own interpretations. At the least, the contents below will serve as a diverting antidote to overconfident assertions about what is "known." In the words of educator Ross Stagner, "We know too many things that just are not so."