Now this is a very interesting change! Is the Church agreeing with scientists of the origins of the people who inhabited the Americas? What do you think about this change?
QUOTE |
The LDS Church has changed a single word in its introduction to the Book of Mormon, a change observers say has serious implications for commonly held LDS beliefs about the ancestry of American Indians. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe founder Joseph Smith unearthed a set of gold plates from a hill in upperstate New York in 1827 and translated the ancient text into English. The account, known as The Book of Mormon, tells the story of two Israelite civilizations living in the New World. One derived from a single family who fled from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and eventually splintered into two groups, known as the Nephites and Lamanites. The book's current introduction, added by the late LDS apostle, Bruce R. McConkie in 1981, includes this statement: "After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians." The new version, seen first in Doubleday's revised edition, reads, "After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians." |
Yes an interesting change indeed. I think it really changes the official historical approach to the Book Of Mormon. What will be interesting is the other changes that are coming for the new edition of the BOM. Some changes are actually in the text.
This is wonderful! A must needed change. Truth is being revealed as knowledge and understanding increase. This will help us go forward. There's no need to stick to past views if they are incorrect, that would be ridiculous. The Introduction wasn't a revelation from God to Mormon or BRM or anyone else. It's just an general overview of the book, not scripture itself. The church is allowed to increase in knowledge and understanding. That's how God intends it to be.
I'm surprised that it wasn't done sooner. The Book of Mormon isn't about every single people that immigrated to America. The Book of Mormon is about 2 small groups that probably influenced others. When considering the size of the American Continent the area that is said that they lived in is actually quite small.
Both terms bacically mean the same thing.
PRINCIPAL ANCESTORS: Indicates that there are other ancestors as well.
AMONG THE ANCESTORS: Indicates that other than Lamanites there are other ancestors as well.
SO: Both mean that the Lamanites were not the only ancestors.
THEREFORE: I can't see anything wrong on the changing.
Jhmichael25,
I think that it is a distinct difference. Principle means primary source-per Webster's dictionary. Thus by saying that the Lamonites are the principle ancestors of the native American is saying that they are the primary source of Native American decent.
Among implies that there not only are other peoples in native American decent, but that they are not the primary decent as proposed before the change. You must also remember that early church leaders always included all Native Americans as Lamonite decent. (see D&C use of the term of Lamonite.) Brigham Young talked about how the Nephites and Lamonites lived in great numbers in Utah and up and doen the Mississippi river. Spencer W Kimball talked how Indians when they heard the gospel would turnwhite back to their Nephite skin color. So the church really saw the American Natives as the ancestors of Lamon.
This change is really not surprising due to the current ideas of Lamonite/Nephi population and geography. Plus with DNA tests we know that there is no Jewish DNA in Native Americans, thus scientific evidence stacks against the claim of principle ancestry of Native Americans. It is a good change and one very much needed.
HI Isiah53,
Sorry that I couldn't have come earlier to respond your post due to be too busy recently.
I am trying to accept your point but I still believe that the definition of PRINCIPAL is very abroad other than just to mean PRIMARY. But let's consider the definition as primary for a moment and see what implies around primary if that is what is supposed to mean. It shouldn't be PRIMARY without SECONDARY as verse it shouldn't be SECONDARY without PRIMARY. So if primary is correct than we also should consider that there is also secondary. If LAMANATES are primary then other than Lamanates must be secondary race as well.
Let's say we are talking about movies and not ANCESTORS of the America Continent. And you may have said, oh Clint Eastwood is the principal player of the movie. Well, if he is the principal player he is not the ONLY PLAYER, there are other players as well.