40 years ago (Fetch, has it been that long already?) the US celebrated its bicentennial. For those of you around at that time it was a pretty big deal. Lots of hype, a lot of marketing and good ol Mom, Apple Pie and Chevrolet warm fuzzies.

The church, of course, found a way to incorporate this into its missionary efforts. My parents (who were fanatically TBM at the time) proudly displayed their 'Discover America in 76. Read the Book of Mormon' bumper sticker on the back of the family station wagon for all the gentiles to see.

Because, you see, in 1976 American Indians were Lamanites. The Book of Mormon was considered the actual history of ancient America. Every good LDS person knew it, had a testimony of it and the General Authorities in SLC would proudly proclaim it.

My, what a difference 4 decades can make.

So whenever I hear weaselly apologists or dishonest general authorities claim that the church never taught this about the BoM or that members (and the church leaders at the time) were just mistaken I still to this day get really, really cranky.

Thank you for your attention.

It's a known fact that the 3 Nephites were in attendance during the signing of the Declaration of Independence. So.... there wouldn't even be a 'MERICA!" without the Book of Mormon, ya know.

Yes, because it was about America in 1776-1826. All of the political, religious and social debates of the Federal era are in the book.

"King Men?" Who did they think they were fooling?

I did a quick google search and found this little Deseret News gem. :) I hope you can smell the nostalgia. I am going to archive this little suppressed piece of history for posterity.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19751107&id=jDMpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7n0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5364,1932125&hl=en

From the BoM introduction at LDS.org:

"After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians."

So yes, they still teach that. Also on the official corporate web site, the Book of Abraham:

"A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus."

The Lamanites were once the principal ancestors of the American Indians. They have only recently been downgraded to "among" the ancestors.

THOUSANDS of years?? I never noticed that before....
Doesn't the BofM span just about 1000 yrs?
These guys just can't keep their story straight!!

The Jaredites came to America shortly after the Tower of Babel, so yes, it is "thousands" of years.

AND those silly mo's were having a go at the countries centennial nearly 100 yrs. before, with this crazy shite:

http://www.josephsmithacademy.org/wiki/eminent-spirits-appear-to-wilford-woodruff/

saddlebronctapir Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> AND those silly mo's were having a go at the
> countries centennial nearly 100 yrs. before, with
> this crazy shite:
>
> http://www.josephsmithacademy.org/wiki/eminent-spi
> rits-appear-to-wilford-woodruff/

From the article:

"that those men who laid the foundation of this American
government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the
best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the
earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General
Washington and all the men that labored for the purpose were
inspired of the Lord."

Yes, those slave-holders were the best spirits God could find.
And Thomas Jefferson did more than hold slaves . . .

Of course, the Church was pro-slavery, and Brigham Young, as
well as Joseph Smith, declared slavery to be of God. So what
are we to expect?

Surely they knew Britain had outlawed slavery in 1830.

I noted the blurb at the bottom about the big doings in the Austria Mission.

And then I noted that there is no more Austria Mission!

In a 2/26/2013 LDS Living article, the author put membership in Austria at "over 4,000". Looking at LDS stats today, the church says they have 4,641, in 17 congregations, for an average of 273 per congregation. There are two stakes...

The 21st century is not being kind to the church in first world countries. Too bad the Morridor is stuck in the mid-20th century.

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> In a 2/26/2013 LDS Living article, the author put
> membership in Austria at "over 4,000". Looking at
> LDS stats today, the church says they have 4,641,
> in 17 congregations, for an average of 273 per
> congregation. There are two stakes...

That comes out to average 273 per congregation. I would bet
money that average attendance per congregation is below 100.

For the blessing of the Lamanites
(from an old post)

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1319023

Speaking of Lamanites...there's a worshipful article about George Lee (the first Lamanite GA) in that same issue (scroll back a few pages).
Hehe.

( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_P._Lee )

I read the title of the post and all I could think of and hum was "All American Prophet" from the musical Book of Mormon. Ha! Now I have an earworm.

https://youtu.be/-MXCCrxsWWQ

For my centennial project I read the book "Those Damn Rebels" an account of the revolutionary war taken from official British sources, letters and impressions of those fighting on the British side. It's by Michael Pearson. Amazing how different the story can be when written from the other side.

Paul Revere rode 20 miles, yet 16 yr old Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles?!?! Yet, we forget about her?!?!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_Ludington

Friedrich Wilhem von Steuben a homosexual German, was kicked out of Prussia and France ...yet became one of our greatest generals and created the American Army. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Wilhelm_von_Steuben

James Buchanan the gay President, declared war on the Mormons because of their refusal to accept Federal judges and officers. the Utah War! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan

40 miles on a horse overnight ?

yeah .... right !

We were so smug and arrogant back then about the Book of Mormon being not only the Word of God, but a great historical document. No apologetics were necessary.

The false rumor persisted that the Smithsonian referred to it often. All the ruins of Latin America were tauted as the remains of the Nephite/Lamanite empire.

We gloated. We knew we had special knowledge. We knew we were leading the world to the truth-- a world that was slow to understand our superiority as God's chosen.


What a difference a few decades make.

I cringe when I think of the smugness I felt as to having the truth™ back in the 70's. It was a different time. General authorities and Mormon apologists now obfuscate previously clearly understood words and phrases from the Book of Mormon. It is difficult to comprehend how any one can be excited to be a Mormon today when Mormon scriptures have become so ambiguous.

That is it, isn't it!

Certainty was the great Mormon strength and now their great and only hope is ambiguity.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Trying to Nail Jello to the Wall?

I think the fossils have fooled the sheep into thinking 'wall' means floor, thus making the jello just sit there, until they have to punt it out of sight; exit, stage left...

Please. You are giving them ideas.

A different time and a different church. What drives me even more insane is that many members our age who remember that time have memory-holed the church of then and claim that the church of today is no different than when we were kids.