Saturday, May 5, 2012

Did the Land of Promise Span Two Continents? Part XVIII—Covino’s “Facts”

Continuing with Covino's book and website information, his "comments" are shown along with our "responses."

Covino's Comment: "Outside of this record, scientists have only been able to speculate as to where the people came from and there are many different theories. In an attempt to find the DNA pool they have looked in the wrong places. The Nephites who intermarried with the Lamanties, Zoramites and Jaredites will not be found in Jewish DNA or Eskimos DNA as they were speculating. The Zoramites are a race from Africa. The Jaredites are from the time of the Tower of Babel and we have no idea what race they might have been, and the Lamanites are from the tribe of Joseph down from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Good luck in finding the matching DNA."

Response: Taking these statements one at a time:

1)  Scientists have only been able to speculate as to where the people came from and there are many different theories."

Response:  Mostly, they claim indiginous American peoples came over the so-called land bridge from Siberia--a  completely untenable and fallacious idea. However, there are a few, if you dig deep enough, who recognize there were large numbers of people who came to the Americas, especially South and Central America, from the area of the Middle East and Egypt. There are also many who claim the movement in the Western Hemisphere was from south to north, not north to south as has always been suggested.

2) "The Nephites who intermarried with the Lamanite,s Zoramites, and Jaredites will not be found in Jewish DNA or Eskimo DNA as they were speculating."

Response: First of all, any Nephites/Zoramites/Mulekites that joined themselves with the Lamanites had their skin color and other characteristics changed, which obviously would have changed their DNA to an unknown type. Secondly, no Jaredites intermarried with any Nephites, Zoramites, Mulekites, or Lamanites--they were destroyed long before the Nephites reached the Land Northward.

3)  "The Zoramites are a race from Africa."

Response: Huh??? Zoram was the servant of Laban, both Jews from Jerusalem. Zoram was in charge of Laban's Treasury, and by his oath taking with Nephi, knew well the Jewish oaths as any Jew would have, with both well knowing the importance of this oath and trusted one another from that time onward. Zoram was a loyal and trustworthy individual, who was willing to follow Nephi into the wilderness and leave his life in Jerusalem behind. He married Ishmael's oldest daughter, a fact that should show he was of the same race of people that were both Nephi and Ishmael since the Jews and Arabs have always been strongly inclined to marry within their own group. Seed, after all, was critical to the Jewish tradition of heritage, and Lehi promised Zoram "thy seed shall be blessed with his [Nephi] seed that they dwell in prosperity long upon the face of this land." In addition, Zoram was blessed by Lehi (2 Nephi 1:30-32) and, along with his family, followed Nephi into the wilderness and helped establish the City of Nephi and build the Temple. His descendants were called Zoramites, and were referred to as Nephites as were the Jacobites and Josephites (Jacob 1:13). It should also be kept in mind that the name Zoram is Hebrew, taken from the root "Zur" which symbolized stability, reliability and firmness. To consider Zoram an African is ludicrous.

Top LtoR: Nephi disguises himself as Laban; Nephi, as Laban, confronting Zoram in Laban's house; Bottom LtoR: Zoram giving Nephi the brass plates; Nephi exacting an oath from Zoram

There was also a chief Captain named Zoram who had two sons, Lehi and Aha, all Nephites. In addition there was another Zoram, whose followers were also called Zoramites, but he was a Nephite dissident in the first century B.C., and it is unknown if he was a descendant of the original Zoram, servant of Laban. Thus, we cannot conclude from either scripture or from common sense as to the position and mention of these Zorams, that any were African.

4) "The Jaredites are from the time of the Tower of Babel and we have no idea as to what race they  might have been, and the Lamanites are from the tribe of Joseph down from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

Response:  First of all, the Jaredites were descendants of Noah, most likely through his great grandson, Eber (as were the later Jews), but certainly fourth generation from Noah. In addition, as has been pointed out several times, the Lamanites, after the curse the Lord brought upon them, became a race unknown for its changed DNA. If any comparison can be made, it would be with the seed of Cain for both were changed to a black skin and both had their characteristics changed from before the curse was placed upon them. And all those Nephites, Zoramites, Mulekites, etc., that defected over to the Lamanites, had this same mark placed upon them, and would have had their DNA changed, as well, for the characteristic to be generational.

Comment: "Those who write and say it does not fit this or that scripture, lack understanding of the scope of the scriptures they are using. If you read the book and follow this map, everything fits, that can not be said of any other map."

Response: It is easy enough for Covino to say anyone who disagrees with him "lacks understanding of the scope of the scriptures they are using," however, it should be clear from the past 17 posts, including this one, using a large amount of Covino's writing, that his map and ideas clearly DO NOT match scripture. Comparing his map with the scriptural record is almost ludicrous at times since it is so far-fetched. One can only wonder, in looking at his map and reading all he has written, if HE has ever read the Book of Mormon.

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