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Nursed By The Gentiles

Nursed by the Gentiles

In 1 Nephi 22:6 we learn...

Comment: This scripture can be interpreted in many ways, but I have some specific questions to narrow our synopsis of it.

Question: How can the Gentiles be a standard if we always read that it is the Gentiles that need 'rescuing' or salvation? How and who exactly will be nursed, and how do we define "nursed'?

Gentiles The Nursed

I have been taught and told that this refers to the Gentiles (the members of the early church who came out of the gentile nations) would be the ones who would be the nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the children of Lehi on this continent. The fulfillment of this scripture is part and partial of the Indian Placement Program of which I have been privileged to be a partaker of. Also bringing me and my native ancestors to the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a tremendous blessing in and of itself.

However after all these years of growing up and further research and study of this chapter, others have said it refers to the Gentiles as being the nation of America who would help the native americans, the indians, which has sort of come to pass by Congress taking care of the Indians and placing them upon federal indian reservations and helping the Indians to survive over the years through government help.

There are many American Indians would have the idea that we are in a terrible situation because of what Columbus did to us after having come to this continent and did all the horrible things to us or because of Columbus having "discovered" this land, the after effects of what had happened to my ancestors in the past 200 years have been nothing but bad.

I personally do not think this way. I say, if it wasn't for Columbus following the promptings of the Holy Ghost and having "found" this land, we would not be in the current situation we are in.

I for one, who am an American Indian, am glad that Columbus came and "found" this land. What I am privileged to have and to use in this day and age is a blessing. Yes there are many problems with this reservation life, but there are many bonuses and blessings to living this 'modern day life" with the cars, clothes, houses, computers, jobs and other wonderful things that a lot of people take for granted.

However the one blessing of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most important and most blessed thing to have come from fulfillment of this scripture in my life.

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