Were the Nephites the Maya? A BYU Mesoamericanist Answers

Was Quetzalcoatl really Jesus Christ? Is the famous "Lehi Stone" actually a carving of Lehi's tree of life? And if the Book of Mormon is true, why hasn't DNA found the Nephites? A Mesoamerican historian who believes the Book of Mormon takes on the myths that never seem to die. In this episode, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Dr. Mark Christensen, professor of history at Brigham Young University and a specialist in Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya, for a preview of his upcoming presentation at the Book of Mormon Culture Conference this November in Provo, Utah. His case: the Book of Mormon doesn't need our help being true — but it does deserve careful, responsible scholarship. Book of Mormon Culture Conference (November 2026, Provo, Utah): https://register.bomal.org/ ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Mark's previous conference talk on Nahua annals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSz4qku3CvA Our episode on Meso America : https://youtu.be/lHEAG87wh9Y John E. Clark, "A New Artistic Rendering of Izapa Stela 5" (Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 1999): https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol8/iss1/6 Dallin H Oaks Talk on Book of Mormon Historicity https://rsc.byu.edu/historicity-latter-day-saint-scriptures/historicity-book-mormon 0:00 Debunking Meso myths - Mark Christensen 4:34 Self-imposed assumptions  9:50 Meso model helps w/ BoM understanding  12:50 Quetzalcoatl issues  18:18 Christ-figure evidence? Other Gods? 22:45 What Nephite & Lamanite mean? 26:06 Small evidences from texts 33:45 Misinterpretations? 37:30 Why Bro Christensen believes the BoM We unpack: • Why the DNA objection assumes an empty hemisphere — and what migration across Beringia 16,000 years ago means for Book of Mormon peoples • Genetic drift, bottlenecks, and a drop of food coloring in a swimming pool • Flipping the question: not "Where is the Old World in the New?" but "How did the New World shape the Nephites?" • Why Mesoamerica checks the boxes: population density, writing, permanent architecture, social stratification, and intensive agriculture • Quetzalcoatl (Kukulkan), the feathered serpent — and how the "white bearded god" legend took shape in 16th-century Spanish mission schools before becoming Cortés, St. Thomas, and finally Christ • Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews and Quetzalcoatl as Moses • Burned records, humidity, and temples built over temples — and why the Nephites feared losing their records too • No "Maya empire": rival city-states, local creation stories, and the Popol Vuh's hero twins • What "Nephite" and "Lamanite" really mean — 2 Nephi 5, Jacob 1, plural marriage in Jacob 2, and "many of them are our brethren" (Alma 31:35) • Nahua annals and the Book of Mormon's year-by-year "and it came to pass" entries • Izapa Stela 5: what John E. Clark's 1999 drawing revealed — bloodletting, the wind god Ehecatl, and a celestial caiman where "12 roots" were once seen • World trees in Mesoamerica and the ancient Near East, and how Lehi's tree of life fits an Old World setting • Why Mark still believes the Book of Mormon Subscribe to Informed Saints for faithful scholarship on scripture, history, and the ancient world. Study deeply, believe boldly. Featuring Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, Stephen Smoot, and Mark Christensen. Mark's views are his own and do not represent BYU or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #BookOfMormon #InformedSaints #LDS #LatterDaySaints #ComeFollowMe #Mesoamerica #BookOfMormonEvidence #Quetzalcoatl #IzapaStela5 #TreeOfLife #Maya #Aztec #Nahuatl #BookOfMormonGeography #BookOfMormonDNA #Lamanites #Nephites #Archaeology #BYU #FaithAndScholarship