Nahom: The Strongest Evidence for the Book of Mormon? - LDS Discussions w/ Kolby Reddish | Ep. 2080

Nahom and the Book of Mormon: Is the Arabian Peninsula Evidence as Strong as Apologists Claim?

The Nahom argument is frequently called the single strongest geographical evidence for Book of Mormon historicity. Apologists point to ancient altars discovered in Yemen bearing a tribal name spelled NHM, and argue this archaeological find confirms that Nephi's account of burying Ishmael at a place called Nahom is rooted in real ancient geography. That claim deserves a serious look, because the details matter enormously here, and several of them cut against the confident conclusions being drawn.

On a recent episode of the Mormon Stories Podcast (Episode 2080, October 2025), host John Dehlin and guest Kolby Reddish spent considerable time walking through both the apologetic case and its documented weaknesses. What emerged was a picture considerably more complicated than apologists typically present.

Background: What the Book of Mormon Actually Claims

First Nephi places Nahom along Lehi's family's southward journey through the Arabian Peninsula, near the borders of the Red Sea. Ishmael dies there, his daughters mourn, and the group then turns eastward toward a place called Bountiful, where they build a ship.

That's the relevant text. The group is traveling near the Red Sea when they reach Nahom. The eastward turn is what takes them inland and eventually to the coast on the other side.