Who are the Lamanites now?

[_zzyzx]

With the change to the intro of the Book of Mormon and DNA testing results, who are the Lamanites these days? They used to be all the dark skinned folk in the Americas and the South Seas. Apparently the Church is backing off of the statements of all previous Church Leaders as to who they are but provide nothing for us to hang our hats on.

Various Indian missions were done away with some time ago. The Book of Mormon is written to the Lamanites first and Jew and Gentile as secondary groups.

How do we know who to preach the history of their Ancestors to if we can't identify who is really a Lamanite? I can find Waldo but with recent changes I can't find a Lamanite.

[_truth dancer]

Hi zz,

Good question. Hmmm...

Here are my guesses.

The Lamanites are now similar to the lost tribes?

Or, the Lamanites are still the Native Americans and Islanders but their DNA was changed, sort of like the blood of Gentiles is physically changed at baptism into the LDS church, as they are adopted into the tribe of Abraham?

Or, the scriptural command to teach to the Lamanites really meant something like, teach to the original inhabitants of the Americas?

Or, it is not for us to know right now but in time, those who are Lamanites will be discovered so the church must teach to everyone to make sure the Lamanites are taught?



~td~

[_The Nehor]

Unless people are seriously suggesting that a group of about twenty people mixing into a gene pool would leave obvious genetic evidence I don't see what DNA has to do with it. The Lamanites are the natives of the American continents.

[_moksha]

I think they can be found in the Palm Springs area. Just look for darkened sun-baked skin.

[_sunstoned]

Unless people are seriously suggesting that a group of about twenty people mixing into a gene pool would leave obvious genetic evidence I don't see what DNA has to do with it. The Lamanites are the natives of the American continents.

Ah yes. They mixed with those mysterious “others” the Book of Mormon is so silent about.

[_zzyzx]

SWIM(SouthWest Indian Mission) and the others have been done away with. Is this because top leadership really does not believe the folks we were told were lamanites... really are lamanites?

The Book of Mormon and 150+ years of LDS Leadership taught Lamanites and Book of Mormon civilizations as covering the whole land. Not as a few assimilated into an already existing group in the land.

To believe the Nephites and Lamanites were a small group among many you have to toss out statements and teachings of Prophets for 150+ years.

Could it be the Lamanites were somehow put with the people living on the moon, dressing like Quakers? (is that the secret as to why we put men on the moon... to take a Book of Mormon to them?)

[_The Nehor]

Unless people are seriously suggesting that a group of about twenty people mixing into a gene pool would leave obvious genetic evidence I don't see what DNA has to do with it. The Lamanites are the natives of the American continents.

Ah yes. They mixed with those mysterious “others” the Book of Mormon is so silent about.

I don't think they're that mysterious but if you want to, more power to you.

The Book of Mormon is silent on many matters, it's an incredibly brief book covering thousands of years, highlighting religious events with light touching on history. The only discovered cultures they mention are the Mulekites and the Jaredites. Both are mentioned because they illustrate something, the Mulekites show the danger of losing touch with scripture and the Jaredites are shown as an object lesson of what can happen and is an intro to the later Book of Ether.

Other contacts probably don't teach as much so were cut for space.

[_truth dancer]

Well actually....

The Book of Mormon and 150+ years of LDS Leadership taught Lamanites and Book of Mormon civilizations as covering the whole land. Not as a few assimilated into an already existing group in the land.

To believe the Nephites and Lamanites were a small group among many you have to toss out statements and teachings of Prophets for 150+ years.

The current apologetic stance is that yes, Lehi & Co. were a small group who blended into the natives. And, yes, Joseph Smith and the prophets didn't know what they were talking about; they were just sharing their opinion and had a "superficial" understanding of all things Mormon.



According to apologists, the Book of Mormon wars did not involve millions of people in breastplates with swords but a handful of guys with sticks. The Promised land was not the America's but a few acres in Central America. Nephi was not a King of a large city but of his congregation.

Things have changed.

~td~

[Guest]

Sir,

Would you be kind enough to point out in the Book of Mormon where it states the Jaredites, or Nephites mixed with other inhabitants?

Ether 15: 2

2 He saw that there had been slain by the sword already nearly two millions of his people, and he began to sorrow in his heart; yea, there had been slain two millions of mighty men, and also their wives and their children.

1 Ne. 12: 1

7 The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.

So on and so forth...

Very Respectfully,

Doctor CamNC4Me

Post Script- When did the Mormon church change the introduction's description of the Lamanites to "among" rather than "principal" ancestors?

[_The Nehor]

Well actually....

The Book of Mormon and 150+ years of LDS Leadership taught Lamanites and Book of Mormon civilizations as covering the whole land. Not as a few assimilated into an already existing group in the land.

To believe the Nephites and Lamanites were a small group among many you have to toss out statements and teachings of Prophets for 150+ years.

The current apologetic stance is that yes, Lehi & Co. were a small group who blended into the natives. And, yes, Joseph Smith and the prophets didn't know what they were talking about; they were just sharing their opinion and had a "superficial" understanding of all things Mormon.



According to apologists, the Book of Mormon wars did not involve millions of people in breastplates with swords but a handful of guys with sticks. The Promised land was not the America's but a few acres in Central America. Nephi was not a King of a large city but of his congregation.

Things have changed.

~td~

Huh? When did I say the Prophets didn't know what they were talking about? The size of the wars in the Book of Mormon haven't changed regarding numbers. The Promised Land is the whole of the Americas....note that God tells Lehi that he has kept it from the knowledge of other nations so he can send groups there. Lehi isn't arrogant enough to assume that is just him. Neither am I.