• EfreetSK@lemmy.world
      24·
      1 year ago

      I’m not 100% sure but If you heard about companies/websites that provide DNA testing like Ancestry, MyHeriatage, etc. (actually anything related to genealogy), there is a big chance that they’re based in Ohio Utah and in some way connected (or directly owned) by mormons. Just by now they must have a huge database of people’s DNA

      But feel free to correct me, as I said I’m not entirely sure if this is the context

    • Shiggles@sh.itjust.works
      18·
      1 year ago

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_History_Library

      Googling this sort of thing is fun: the first result I got was this quora page (it’s fun to read the nonsense sometimes, sue me) where all the responses are very salty and defensive mormons to what reads to me as a fairly worded question.

      https://www.quora.com/Why-do-Mormons-have-the-biggest-DNA-database

      It seems to boil down to they believe you can save your ancestors from damnation if you baptize them post mortem. Regardless of how far back.

      • Pentagram@lemmy.world
        15·
        1 year ago

        Which I find pretty funny considering that the discovery of DNA is one of the most compelling arguments against the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

        Basically, the premise of the Book of Mormon is that a group of Jews floated in a wooden ship across the Atlantic Ocean without any navigation, using glowing rocks blessed by God to light the “ships.” This is how Joseph Smith tried to explain the existence of the native Americans.

        The discovery of DNA shatters any truth claims of the book of Mormon because the natives do not have a DNA link to ancient Jews. They decended from Asia.

    • RestrictedAccount@lemmy.world
      15·
      1 year ago

      There was a thing in Christianity where if you died before you were babtised you went to hell.

      That seemed too cruel so the the LDS came up with the idea that if you were related to the deceased and were going to babtise them anyway you could do it after they died and save them from an eternity in hell.

      That quaint little practice metastasized into baptising any and everyone that they can prove kinship with. As a result, the LDS has the most awesome genealogy records on Earth.

      They claim that they don’t do it, but they keep maintaining the databases.

      • Rognaut@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        1 year ago

        There’s an episode of Star Trek: TNG where Riker and Dr. Crusher (maybe?) Have their DNA stolen from them. The thieves use this DNA to create clones that will introduce new genetic diversity into their society as they are all dying from genetic degradation. The thieves excluded cloning Laforge as he had a disability that they discriminated against. This led Laforge to become suspicious and eventually unravel the whole conspiracy.