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Trent D. Stephens

Biologist who coauthored treatments of genetic inheritance, ancestry, and the Book of Mormon.

genetics

Relationship to the Church
Latter-day Saint
1
I was a bishop at the time, so I gave myself permission to take the issue up with my stake president.

Trent D. Stephens — Latter-day Saint Scholars Testify

FAIR (Latter-day Saint Scholars Testify) · as of

Original · Archived

raised in the Church
2
I grew up attending church with my mother and sisters. My father was not active in the Church until I was about twelve

Trent D. Stephens — Latter-day Saint Scholars Testify

FAIR (Latter-day Saint Scholars Testify) · as of

Original · Archived

Positions

What does genetic evidence show about Native American ancestry, and how does it bear on the Book of Mormon?

Population-genetics limits

Meldrum and Stephens jointly propose that Lehi’s descendants were a small population interacting with a much larger indigenous population. They argue that intermarriage and the loss of inherited markers make detection of those descendants unlikely, while cultural and covenant relationships can persist without an identifiable genetic lineage.

It is extremely unlikely that we will ever identify the children of Lehi using genetic techniques.

Inheritance discussion, paragraph beginning “As a result of this random nature” · Original

Corrections