Why would Joseph Smith have taken a chance on including total warfare in the Book of Mormon?

Until fairly recently Maya warfare has largely been viewed as ritualized and limited in scope. However recent findings show that the Maya engaged in tactics akin to total warfare earlier and more frequently than previously thought.

Interestingly the Book of Mormon affirms total warfare as in the case of the total destruction of the Nephites in Mormon 8:2,8

And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.

And behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war one with another; and the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed; and no one knoweth the end of the war.

When describing war in the Book of Mormon wouldn’t Joseph Smith be more likely to follow the best information of the day? Why was he right about total warfare in Mesoamerica?

See:

• Wahl, D., Anderson, L., Estrada-Belli, F. et al. Palaeoenvironmental, epigraphic and archaeological evidence of total warfare among the Classic Maya
• Evidence Central – Book of Mormon Evidence: Total Warfare

© 2024 Showyourshelf.com

Show Your Shelf is not in any way sponsored or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For official information from the Church please see churchofjesuschrist.org or comeuntochrist.org