To be clear, I don't want a laundry list of points, but find one area in which this past event could throw an interesting light on later times.
The Third Book of Nephi from the Book of Mormon gives us an interesting dramatic account of the risen Christ visiting the Nephites - a people group native to America, though not the Native Americans that were in the land when the European settlers came. These where at least partially Lamanites, who destroyed the Nephites.
A passage that seemed quite central to me was in chapter 5. When Jesus appears to the Americans and declares who He is, they react in a curious manner: "And it came to pass that when Jesus Christ had spoken these words, the whole multitude fell to the earth, for they remembered that it had been prophesied among them that Christ should shew himself unto them after his ascension into heaven." (p. 485)
As we discussed in class, knowing (or thinking) that Jesus had been in America would have been encouraging to early settlers. But I think more can be seen in that when Jesus visited the Nephites, they recognized Him because it had been prophesied among them. Coming from a strongly Christian viewpoint, we see Christ's visit to America as a curious and doubtful addition or side-tangent to His life. But I think that the picture we get in the Book of Mormon is bigger than that: If Jesus had been prophesied among the Nephites, that means they had a good deal of interaction with God on their own, unrelated in some ways to the Israelites.
I am not convinced that 18th- and 19th-century immigrants would have used this as a defense for the genocide of Native Americans. They would have felt responsible to spread their message whether the Native Americans had at one point known Jesus or not. Either way, they didn't now. Also, it seems to me that earlier encounters and knowledge of God would be a reason not to show violence toward the native people. I think more significant is the comfort it would have given people to know that Jesus had been there. For immigrants who had left their home and familiar countries to come to the 'new world', knowing that it has the same roots as theirs, including Jesus, as well as prophesies and all that, would have given them a sense of familiarity and comfort in a very foreign world.
Quite an interesting perspective. I especially appreciate the thought that the visit is more than tangental, and that it is a result of their previous and consistent contact with the divine. Food for thought: does and/or could that principal apply to us?
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a lot of really great points, but I tend to believe during the 19th and 20th centuries, white Americans may have viewed the Book of Mormon as a way of answering many of the questions surrounding the Native Americans. Through this view from the Book of Mormon, It seems it may have fueled the fire for racism in America against Native Americans.
ReplyDeleteImportant to remember—the general white population of the time did not know the content of the Book. It seems highly unlikely that a population so vehemently opposed to it would use its teaching as supporting evidence for any acts, be they racist or otherwise. The idea of the government using them is almost laughable, given its behaviour toward the group publishing it.
ReplyDeleteJames, that is defiantly a different view and I like where you are coming from. You bring up several great points to consider.
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