Hi! I'm newish to this site (been following ever now and than for the past 2 years...) I was researching on the FAIRS website to try and understand how mormon's explain away the DNA evidence that Native Americans are of Asian descent. I came across this quote by a church spokesman. Here's the link.

http://en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Lamanites/Relationship_to_Amerindians/Descendants_of_Lehi

Anyway, this is the last part of the quote:

"...Many Mormons believe that American Indians are descendants of the Lamanites [a division of the Nephites], but that's not in the scripture."

The last part really hit me hard- "not in the scripture"? I'm pretty sure the beginning of the BOM stated that Native Americans are the descendants of the lamanites. I'm pretty dumbfounded that I found such a downright lie on the FAIRS website!

In November of 2007, the Mormon Church changed the Introduction to the Book Of Mormon from "they are the principal ancestors" to "they are among the ancestors of".

Every LDS President has talked about the Lamanites as Native Americans, and mentioned them in North America.

And it's in the D&C, but I guess that doesn't count.

D&C 28: 8 And now, behold, I say unto you that you shall go unto the Lamanites and preach my gospel unto them; and inasmuch as they receive thy teachings thou shalt cause my church to be established among them; and thou shalt have revelations, but write them not by way of commandment.

D&C 28: 9 And now, behold, I say unto you that it is not revealed, and no man knoweth where the city Zion shall be built, but it shall be given hereafter. Behold, I say unto you that it shall be on the borders by the Lamanites.

D&C 28: 14 And thou shalt assist to settle all these things, according to the covenants of the church, before thou shalt take thy journey among the Lamanites.

D&C 30: 6 And be you afflicted in all his afflictions, ever lifting up your heart unto me in prayer and faith, for his and your deliverance; for I have given unto him power to build up my church among the Lamanites;

D&C 32: 2 And that which I have appointed unto him is that he shall go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites.

D&C 49: 24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.

D&C 54: 8 And thus you shall take your journey into the regions westward, unto the land of Missouri, unto the borders of the Lamanites.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 03:32PM by Heresy.

Oh I had forgotten about these D&C verses. Very interesting! I remember the church believed they would turn "white and delightsome" too. Do you know if this is still doctrine?

Thank you for all of that great documentation . I want to print out a thousand copies and put them in every mailbox I see.

They recently changed the intro slightly in order, it seems, to make this issue more open to interpretation. It's such a weak defense though.

Even with the change to the intro, they cannot seriously say it is not in the scriptures, I mean , hello! They had better just throw out the D and C.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 04:39PM by think4u.

Moroni's comment to Joseph Smith, as recorded in his journal, was that the Native Americans are the 'literal' descendants of the Lamanites.

Pretty clear

Pretty damning

Hmmmm...

http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=65dff48fa2d20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=e36d5f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Here is an explanation (from lds. o r g) for a picture in the Gospel Art Picture Kit.

Seems clear to me they mean the Lamanites = American Indians/Native Amercians.

Snippet:

"The Lord directs the missionary work of His Church. He calls men and women to bring His gospel, sometimes under difficult conditions, to all His children throughout the earth.

In October 1830, just a few months after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, the elders of the Church had a strong desire to take the gospel to the Lamanite people. As a result of their prayers on this subject, Joseph Smith, after receiving revelation from the Lord, called Parley P. Pratt, Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Jr., and Ziba Peterson to “declare my gospel” and go “into the wilderness among the Lamanites” (D&C 32:1–2).

The four left Fayette, New York, on 18 October 1830 and traveled to the western borders of Missouri, preaching the gospel and leaving copies of the Book of Mormon along the way. The journey was very difficult; the missionaries walked about 1,500 miles, mostly during the winter through deep snow. Although the missionaries had limited success with the Lamanite people, they brought the gospel to many in the Kirtland, Ohio, area and converted several people who would play important roles in the future of the Church.

Summary
In October 1830 four men were called by the Lord to go on a mission to the Lamanites in New York, Ohio, and Missouri. They walked about 1,500 miles through snow and ice. The missionaries found Lamanites who were happy to hear about the gospel and their ancestors in the Book of Mormon. The missionaries also preached the gospel to other people in Ohio and Missouri who later became some of the leaders of the Church."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 04:49PM by jw the inquizzinator.

Always funny how so many "latter day prophets' don't really know things that they should.

Thanks for the info!

And we have always been taught that!!! Just think how the lds indians and polynesians feel when they hear that crap, after joining the church for mainly that reason- after the mishies make them feel soooo special about who they really are- the descendents of Lehi.

I say to the apologists: GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE, BECAUSE I DOUBT EVEN MANY TBM'S WILL BUY IT! That is just garbage, and once again we see them try to somehow magically leave the past behind.

Remember, "ONLY listen to the current prophet". I guess God lied to the past ones.

Today's current Prophet gives us inspired revelation that will be referred to as man made bunk when he dies...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/2011 04:37PM by Stumbling.

it's quite difficult to be descendants of fictional people LOL.

DNA tell us that the American Indians came from Asia and the Polynesians came from Taiwan.

Do you want to believe Joseph Smith or DNA?

Ooooooooh tough choice LOL

Just google Jewish ancestry or Jewish/Hebrew DNA, you'll find a large number of sites who have info and do tribal tests, especially for the cohamin aka priesthood holders for the Tempel Institute in Jerusalem and the nely formed Sanhedrin. They have by Jewish law a direct descended who is permitted priesthood. (I bet you my last buck you find not ONE that jives with native americans:) Google also has a DNA site for Ephraim of whom Mormons supposedly belong and confirmed DNA of the "Davidic lineage".

Something totally minor. You will find VERY seldom an Indian with beards compared to Jews.

In General Conference, 1960 (and the ensuing published official Conference Reports), Spencer W. Kimball said: "I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today.... The day of the Lamanites is nigh. For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised. In this picture of the twenty Lamanite missionaries, fifteen of the twenty were as light as Anglos, five were darker but equally delightsome The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation. At one meeting a father and mother and their sixteen-year-old daughter were present, the little member girl--sixteen--sitting between the dark father and mother, and it was evident she was several shades lighter than her parents--on the same reservation, in the same hogan, subject to the same sun and wind and weather....These young members of the Church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness."

If I was Native American this would seriously offend me! And they say they're not racist.

Actually this still offends me. What a horrible thing to say.

When exactly was it that they changed the words "white and delightsome" to pure and delightsome" throughout the BOM, the MOST correct book ever written, OMH!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/2011 10:18PM by think4u.