Using Science to Answer Questions from Latter-day Saint History

Authors

Ugo A. Perego

Keywords

BYU Studies, science, history

Abstract

DNA testing has been employed to study the ancestry and posterity of Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Mormon movement. Thanks to information found on the paternally inherited Y chromosome, for example, researchers have been able to establish a likely Irish origin for the Smith line. Y chromosome testing has also been helpful in resolving a number of paternity cases involving men who were allegedly sons of Joseph through polygamous unions. To date, all of the tests for these candidates have borne negative results.

Recommended Citation

Perego, Ugo A. (2019) "Using Science to Answer Questions from Latter-day Saint History," BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 58: Iss. 4, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol58/iss4/5