From FAIRMormon
This page is based on an answer to a question submitted to the FAIR web site, or a frequently asked question.
Question
Since in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to American Indians in North America as "Lamanites" (e.g., D&C 28:8-9,14, D&C 30:6, D&C 32:2,D&C 54:8), does this cause problems for the Limited Geography Theory (LGT) or issues of Amerindian genetic data?
Response
LGT theory and the D&C
The LGT is not a doctrine of the Church and there is no necessity to accept it as the only interpretation of the Book of Mormon text. Those who accept the LGT view it as the only theory that is consistent with the geographic descriptions and distances found in the Book of Mormon. The truth of the Book of Mormon does not depend, however, on proving or supporting the LGT.
The LGT assumes that a small number of Lehites were introduced into a larger "sea" of native peoples, most of whom were of presumably of Asiatic origin. Critics mistake the use of the term "Lamanite" as requiring descent from Lehi through his son, Laman. But, from very early in the Book of Mormon record, it is clear that the term "Lamanite" does not refer to descent, but to political and religious affiliation:
- ...I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy the people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call Nephites, or the people of Nephi, according to the reigns of the kings. (Jac. 1:14)
So, any person who wasn't a Nephite was, by exclusion, a Lamanite. Lamanites were not confined in any geographic sense at all. The LGT holds that the story of the Book of Mormon and the peoples with which it is concerned were confined to a narrow region, since this is all the area with which the authors of the Book of Mormon were directly concerned. Yet the Book of Mormon has several references that suggest a knowledge of and interaction with a much greater geographical area. The story of Hagoth (Alma 63:4-9) speaks not only of the shipbuilder and his movements northward (out of the general area referred to in the Book of Mormon) but also others that migrated to the north. In Helaman 3 we find other references to people migrating to the north:
- And it came to pass in the forty and sixth [year], yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land northward to inherit the land. And they did travel to an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water and many rivers. Yea, and even they did spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatever parts it had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land. (Hel. 3:3-5)
The migration was out of the general area of the Book of Mormon story and is referred to as "an exceedingly great distance." This gives opportunity for Lamanites and Nephites to be found in all parts of the western hemisphere. There is no reason not to believe that similar migrations could have occurred to the south. Migrations to both the north and to the south were possibly more common than is recorded in the text.
The situation in the 19th century was different than that 1500 years earlier, when the Book of Mormon was written (i.e., about A.D. 400 at the latest). By Joseph Smith's era, if Lehi left any descendants at all, then every single person in the hemisphere was a descendant of Lehi. (Main article: Amerindians as Lamanites: All from Lehi)
This doesn't mean that they got the majority of their DNA from Lehi, or that one would likely be so spectacularly lucky as to find a genetic marker from him, but they would be literal descendants to some degree, and yet would likely have predominantly Asian DNA markers.
Confusion over the nature of quotations found in the Doctrine & Covenants
Many readers assume that revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants in which Joseph Smith speaks in "God's voice" are direct "quotations" from God. Joseph didn't claim to be hearing a voice, and he didn't claim to be quoting God or "taking dictation." Rather, impressions would come to him, which he would put into words. Joseph clearly did not consider them "direct quotations" from God, since he was quite happy to revise them, edit them later, etc. This would be strange if Joseph saw them as "direct quotes"; not so strange when we understand how he saw the matter.
This means that "Lamanites" to describe the American Indians was Joseph's word choice. The few personal statements he made on Book of Mormon geography indicate that he believed it took place on a hemispheric scale, so it would be natural for him to believe that all Native Americans were pure descendants of Laman, and hence were literal "Lamanites."
Conclusion
By the time the Doctrine and Covenants was written, Lehi's descendants had ample time to migrate and intermarry with the large number of "natives" postulated by the LGT. Such descendants are "Lamanites" in at least three senses:
- all shared descent from Lehi, to some degree.
- none embraced Nephite kingship or their doctrine of Christ, making them "Lamanites" politically.
- all were eligible for the covenant blessings promised to Lehi's descendants, if they would repent.
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
Lectures on Faith
FAIR web site
- FAIR Topical Guide: DNA and the Book of Mormon FAIR link
- "Is an Historical Book of Mormon Incompatible with DNA Science?" PDF link
- David Stewart, "DNA and the Book of Mormon" FAIR link
- Allen Wyatt, "Motivation, Behavior, and Dissention" (background on Thomas Murphy's anti-Mormon activity). FAIR link
- FAIR Topical Guide: Changes in the D&C FAIR link
- FAIR Topical Guide: Lectures on Faith FAIR link
External links
- John M. Butler, "A Few Thoughts From a Believing DNA Scientist," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1 (2003): 36–37. off-site PDF link wiki
- John M. Butler, "Addressing Questions surrounding the Book of Mormon and DNA Research," FARMS Review 18/1 (2006): 101–108. off-site PDF link wiki
- Glen M. Cooper, "Appendix, On Aping Aristotle: Modern-day Simplicios," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): lxiii–lxiii. off-site PDF link
- David A. McClellan, "Detecting Lehi's Genetic Signature: Possible, Probable, or Not?," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): 35–90. off-site PDF link
- D. Jeffrey Meldrum and Trent D. Stephens, "Who Are the Children of Lehi?," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1 (2003): 38–51. off-site PDF link wiki
- Ryan Parr, "Missing the Boat to Ancient America . . . Just Plain Missing the Boat (Review of: Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church)," FARMS Review 17/1 (2005): 83–106. off-site PDF link
- Daniel C. Peterson, "Editor's Introduction," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): ix–lxii. off-site PDF link
- Daniel C. Peterson, "Prolegomena to the DNA Articles," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): 25–34. off-site PDF link
- Matthew Roper, "Nephi's Neighbors: Book of Mormon Peoples and Pre-Columbian Populations," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): 91–128. off-site PDF link
- Matthew Roper, "Swimming the Gene Pool: Israelite Kinship Relations, Genes, and Genealogy," FARMS Review 15/2 (2003): 129–164. off-site PDF link
- James E. Smith, "Nephi's Descendants? Historical Demography and the Book of Mormon (Review of Multiply Exceedingly: Book of Mormon Population Sizes by John C. Kunich)," FARMS Review of Books 6/1 (1994): 255–296. off-site PDF link GL direct link
- John L. Sorenson, "The Problematic Role of DNA Testing in Unraveling Human History," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 9/2 (2000): 66–74. off-site [No PDF link] wiki
- John L. Sorenson and Matthew Roper, "Before DNA," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1 (2003): 6–23. off-site PDF link wiki
- David G. Stewart, Jr., "DNA and the Book of Mormon," FARMS Review 18/1 (2006): 109–138. off-site PDF link wiki FAIR link
- David Stewart, Jr., "DNA and the Book of Mormon Rebuttal to Signature Books," cumorah.com off-site
- John A. Tvedtnes, "Reinventing the Book of Mormon (Review of: “Reinventing Lamanite Identity,” Sunstone, March 2004, 20–25)," FARMS Review 16/2 (2004): 91–106. off-site PDF link
- Michael F. Whiting, "DNA and the Book of Mormon: A Phylogenetic Perspective," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 12/1 (2003): 24–35. off-site PDF link wiki
- The Lectures on Faith off-site
- Larry E Dahl, "Lectures on Faith," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 2:818–821. ISBN 002904040X. off-site off-site
- Leland H. Gentry, "What of the Lectures on Faith?," Brigham Young University Studies 19:1 (Fall 1978): 5–19. PDF link
- Stephen R. Gibson, "Why Did Joseph Smith Make Changes In the Doctrine & Covenants?," One-Minute Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions (Bountiful, Utah: Horizon Publishers, 2005) ISBN 0882907840. off-site
- Boyd K. Packer, "We Believe All That God Has Revealed," Ensign (May 1974): 93. off-site; also in Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report (April 1974): 137.
- Melvin J. Petersen, "Preparing Early Revelations for Publication," Ensign (February 1985): 14. off-site
- Melvin J. Petersen, A Study of the Nature of and the Significance of the Changes in the Revelations as Found in a Comparison of the Book of Commandments and Subsequent Editions of the Doctrine and Covenants, master's thesis, Brigham Young University, 1955. off-site
- Noel B. Reynolds, "The Case for Sidney Rigdon as Author of the Lecture on Faith (8 June 2004) [based on version given at Mormon History Association meeting at Kirtland 2003]. PDF link
- Robert J. Woodford, "Doctrine and Covenants Editions," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, (New York, Macmillan Publishing, 1992), 1:425–427. ISBN 002904040X. off-site off-site
- Robert J. Woodford, "How the Revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants Were Received and Compiled," Ensign (January 1985): 27. off-site (Key source)
- Robert J. Woodford, "The Story of the Doctrine and Covenants," Ensign (December 1984): 32. off-site
Printed material
- Blake T. Ostler, "Assessing the Logical Structure of DNA Arguments Against the Book of Mormon," Sunstone (Issue #135) (December 2004): 70–72. off-site
- Blake T. Ostler, "DNA Strands in the Book of Mormon," Sunstone (Issue #137) (May 2005): x–y. off-site
- Blake T. Ostler, "Reply to David A. Anderson (letter to the editor)," Sunstone (Issue #138) (September 2005): 8–10. off-site PDF link
- Donald Q. Cannon, "Latter-day Visions of the Savior" in Hearken, O Ye People: Discourses on the Doctrine and Covenants (Sandy, UT: Randall Book, 1984), 119–131.
- Larry Dahl and Charles Tate, The Lectures on Faith in Historical Perspective (Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1990).
- Review of Dahl and Tate by Kevin Barney, By Common Consent, 4 November 2006 off-site
- Robert J. Woodford, The Historical Development of the Doctrine and Covenants, Ph.D. dissertation (3 volumes), Brigham Young University, 1974. (CD-ROM version from BYU Studies.) (Hard copy available from UMI Dissertation Express; order number 8027231.) (Key source)
- Richard S. Van Wagoner, Steven C. Walker, and Allen D. Roberts, "The ´Lectures on Faith´: A Case Study in Decanonization," Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 20:3 (Fall 1987): 71–77. off-site
