Mormon Dilemma 547

Oxen and Cattle

1 Nephi 18:25; “And it came to pass that we did find upon the land of promise, as we journeyed in the wilderness, that there were beasts in the forests of every kind, both the cow and the ox…”

James 3:5; “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!”

And so goes a wildfire of lies…

When the Nephites landed on the shores of North America it’s interesting to note all the animals they “discovered”.  There are two general definitions of the word oxen in the English language. It can mean a domesticated bovine used for plowing fields, etc. Or it can mean a castrated bull. 

Now you can take your pick of which definition you’d like to use, but either way, that bovine didn’t become an oxen without the help of a human. This poses a bit of a problem for Joseph Smith’s inspired story.