Hi Dan,
You wrote,
I believe today's Native Americans to be descended from the Lamanites spoken of in the Book of Mormon.
Wow, I didn't realize this.
Just to be clear, are you suggesting there were no other peoples in the Americas until Lehi & Co. (or other Book of Mormon groups) arrived? No Bering Strait migration?
Or are you suggesting there is some sort of "adoption" thing going on?
Some here refer to me as the "chief apologist." Yet your description doesn't even remotely correspond to my view, and I don't know any "apologist" who would agree to it.
Are you suggesting SWK was correct (speaking truth) in his teachings concerning the Native Americans and their dark skin becoming white and delightsome as they embraced the gospel?
Do you think Joseph Smith had a superficial understanding or do you think he was right on in his interpretations concerning the Nephites and Lamanites?
In other words, are you a fan of Meldrum?
I believe it was an area in the Americas -- specifically in Mesoamerica.
How many acres of land was considered the promised Land spoken of in the Book of Mormon saved for Lehi and his family and friends?
truth dancer wrote:
When Christ came and converted EVERYONE... do you think all the Maya were converted?
No.
No more than, when "a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed," the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, Japan, and the Americas were covered by that decree.
So... in Fourth Nephi when it says,
2 And it came to pass in the thirty and sixth year, the people were all converted unto the Lord, upon all the face of the land, both Nephites and Lamanites, and there were no contentions and disputations among them, and every man did deal justly one with another.
...you are saying that this did not include the Maya? The "land" was basically a neighborhood? The Lamanites and Nephies who were coverted to the gospel amounts to the ending of a squabble between families?
Do you think your interpretation is the same as that of Joseph Smith?
~td~