Scholars Reject "The Lost Civilizations of North America"

[kolipoki09]

Perhaps some of you will remember a message Rodney Meldrum sent to MADB members a year ago. Cinepro notes, quoting Meldrum:

Dear Mormon Apologetic & Discussion Board Participants,

For over a year we have anxiously awaited the release of this paradigm shattering new documentary film. With nearly a dozen non-LDS, mainstream, archaeologists, anthropologists, museum directors, geneticists, historians, authors and Native Americans, "The Lost Civilization (sic) of North America" is an incredibly compelling new film that finally answers the question of why most Americans (and Latter-day Saints) have never heard about the tremendous, highly advanced civilization that once existed anciently in the 'Heartland' of the North American continent and why theories about its origins have been deliberately and systematically erased from American history.

I hope that you will take a moment to watch the video trailer of this fundamentally important film to all those interested in learning about and finding evidences for the Book of Mormon as a literal historical record of real people, places and things.

This one hour and ten minute film will forever change your view about the strength of the claims of the Book of Mormon relative to where it may have taken place. Nowhere has this level of evidence been provided by mainstream, non-LDS scholars from so many fields of expertise as you will find within this extraordinarily well done film. This is truly the 'must see' film of 2010 for every Book of Mormon believer and skeptic alike! It has been said that Joseph Smith believed that someday the 'Gentiles' would prove out the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon...could it be that today is that day? Watch this film and see what you think!

Sincerely,

Rod L. Meldrum

President - The FIRM Foundation

Share this Film!

"The Lost Civilization of North America" is not an LDS-oriented film, which makes it perfect for introducing non-members to the evidences of the Book of Mormon without being 'preachy' with your non-member family member, friends and associates. It is very professionally done and is being submitted to the Discovery Channel for inclusion in their TV programming.

This film may open many tens of thousands of doors for missionary work as people around the world learn of the amazing DNA connections between this ancient civilization in North America and the ancient Semitic peoples of the Mediterranean, just as would be expected from the Book of Mormon account.

This is the most profound level of evidence for the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon by non-LDS sources ever assembled and you will be astounded by its robustness as this lineup of world-class experts share their combined knowledge with you.

It came as no surprise to me that many of the scholars featured in the film are less than thrilled with the final product.

Among other things:

"We want to make it clear that we do not support the theories presented in The Lost Civilizations of North America DVD," the letter reads.

The film's makers defend it as an objective documentary.

The DVD was produced by filmmaker Rick Stout, as well as Steven Smoot and Barry McLerran, board members of the Family First Foundation, a Utah-based organization that provides funding for pro-family nonprofit groups.

"Any suggestion that the scholars' remarks were edited in order to use them in support of a claim they did not express support for in their interview is specious," Stout, Smoot and McLerran said in a statement.

The DVD's only "claims," the producers say, are that technological advancements of ancient American cultures were excluded from American history and that the authenticity of some artifacts is still debated.

"We worked to honor the Native American cultures and tried to be reflective of the great respect that we personally hold for those peoples," they wrote.

One of the archaeologists objecting to his portrayal in the DVD is Bradley T. Lepper, the Ohio Historical Society's archaeological curator.

Lepper, who writes an archaeology column for T he Dispatch, was interviewed twice by the filmmakers. The first interview - on April 19, 2009 - followed a tour he gave of the Octagon Earthworks in Newark, which are mounds constructed by the Hopewell culture (100 B.C.-A.D. 400).

"They were basically just asking me about the Newark earthworks," said Lepper, adding that he compared the scale of the earthworks to other ancient wonders.

Later that week, he was again approached by the filmmakers, this time at a symposium in Roscoe Village, where he was speaking with Ken Feder, an archaeology expert at Central Connecticut State University.

The interviews, Feder said, focused on what it might take to convince archaeologists that ancient Americans had contact with Old World civilizations.

Almost a year later, this past February, clips from the documentary began appearing online.

"When I saw the original cut, the context of my interview was, 'See, now archaeologists accept the fact that there were ancient (Old World) people here,'" Feder said. "Purposely or not, the context of my interview was misleading."

...In one segment, Lepper describes the size and scope of the Octagon Earthworks, explaining that multiple Roman coliseums or Egyptian pyramids could fit within the earthworks. The documentary then cuts to another expert, who argues that the earthworks were built using the same measurement system as the pyramids and were inspired by them.

"I couldn't disagree with that more," Lepper said.

..."The evidence is overwhelmingly that they are a fraud. And the premise that the Smithsonian or anyone made an effort to cover this up is not factually based."

Please, let's not make this thread political (given the fact that Glenn Beck was involved in the promotion of the DVD).

Thanks!

DVD touted by Glenn Beck stirs up archaeological spat

[thesometimesaint]

kolipoki09:

Glenn Beck not withstanding Bro. Meldrum does not make a convincing case for a central US as a good candidate for Book of Mormon lands.

[kolipoki09]

kolipoki09:

Glenn Beck not withstanding Bro. Meldrum does not make a convincing case for a central US as a good candidate for Book of Mormon lands.

I couldn't agree with you more.