Small Change In Bom

[pam]

New copies of The Book of Mormon will have a word change in the introduction.

The change brings the introduction more into line with prevailing scientific theory.

Many Latter-day Saints already believe that the ancient peoples written about in The Book of Mormon represent only part of the inhabitants of Central America at that time. The change, in the introduction, accommodates that belief.

Latter-day Saints believe that The Book of Mormon tells the story of Israelites in the New World in 600 B.C. One family split into two groups called Nephites and Lamanites.

From Joseph Smith to the present, church leaders have told followers that Native Americans and indigenous peoples of Central and South America are descendants of the Lamanites.

In 1981, an introduction was added to the Book of Mormon that included the phrase: "... all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are the principal ancestors of the American Indians."

New editions from Doubleday now read: "... and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians."

DNA testing and research in books like "Losing a Lost Tribe" and "Who Are the Children of Lehi?" have brought the issue into modern context.

Kerry Muhlestein, BYU ancient scripture assistant professor, says church members should not look at this as surprising. "As we come to look more carefully at the text of The Book of Mormon and clues in it about other people they're interacting with, I think we've come to understand that the picture may be more complex than we have assumed," says Muhlestein.

Prof. Trent Stephens says this is not simply science versus religion. DNA testing does not have all the answers. He says, "You may be descended from a person 10 generations back, but the chances are almost zero that you actually have any genetic material from any given ancestor that far back … There's a difference between tradition and doctrine, and this is what we're really talking about."

Muhlestein says he doesn't believe it's in response to some DNA research that shows the continent's early inhabitants are of Asian descent.

LDS Church spokesman Mark Tuttle says the change will be included in the next edition of The Book of Mormon that the church prints.

[a-train]

I personally find the change almost entirely unnecessary. Perhaps 'principal' is too strong for some, but I take that with the understanding that not all Lamanites descended from Laman. We could call modern Native Americans 'Lamanites' without implying any actual descent from Laman himself, or even Lehi. This would be completely in line with the Book of Mormon from day one, and I think that has been understood from day one, although perhaps not by casual observers.

-a-train

[john doe]

I agree with A-train. I tend to see it as more a case of Nephites generally were believers in the gospel, and Lamanites generally were unbelievers, and not necessarily descendants of Nephi or Laman. I understand the change, it is more accurate, but it is a small thing. I'm sure there will be those who will claim this is another way to show how LDS are just changing their scriptures to fit modern science, but the ankle-biters will always be around, and nothing will make them happy short of a complete admission of fraud by the living prophet.

[darrel]

I believe we are seeing fulfillment from Book of Mormon in the

American Indian activities. We must remember the american indians include more than the native americans we have in the USA but all of north central and south america.

[the_jason]

I'm a bit confused. Is the change happening in the actual Book of Mormon or only in the Doubleday version? Last I checked the Doubleday version isn't official scripture.

[darrel]

I'm sorry I wasn't more clear, my reference was made to American Indian activities not Book of Mormon changes.

[VisionOfLehi]

I agree with A-train. I tend to see it as more a case of Nephites generally were believers in the gospel, and Lamanites generally were unbelievers, and not necessarily descendants of Nephi or Laman.

Ah, but there's several times in the BoM where the Nephites were the evil doers and unbelievers, and the Lamanites were more righteous than they.

And furthermore, it's stated early on that there were many more tribes, but for simplicity sake they were lumped together.

Going off on this... They intermarried amongst the tribes, converted, fell, converted again... There was a lot of switching around and mingling. Referring to anyone these days as a descendant of a Lamanite is really not saying anything more than:

"They are descendants of father Lehi or his household, or Zoram and his household, or Ishmael and any of his household."

Since, based on accounts in the BoM, we should assume there was a fair amount of mixing and tribe-switching that those original ancestors were ancestors for each tribe, or the Nephites and Lamanites at the very least.

IN OTHER WORDS:

I think the whole thing about "Lamanites" is pointless. In the context of scripture study and such, it helps us know who the scriptures are talking about, and it's great! When referring to "Native Americans"... not so much.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Didn't people class themselves as 'of the Lamanites' pertaining to their beliefs or lack thereof? We know from the Book of Mormon itself that there were more people on the American continent than just the decendants of Lehi and Ishmael.

To me the wording is simply for the sake of clarity explaining that it doesn't necessarily refer to literal decendants of Laman. After all, what about Lemuel? Was he a Lamanite?

[Annabelli]

Adversaries read the BOM. They believe it contains sinful type-o's!

[cgrantreed]

Yeah... well I'm a Nephite Warrior and I have no idea where the roots of my tree have grown from:-) So there... and it makes no difference what the intro to the BoM says about central america or indians, its still true to me regardless.

Cheerio(s)

[S2LR]

Adversaries read the BOM. They believe it contains sinful type-o's!

The textual change of interest is not part of the Book or Mormon in the literal sense. It involves a change in the preface, not the translated portion.

It is true that the Book of Mormon has over 3000 textual changes since its inception which may bother some and give incentive for critics to cry foul. However, if one studies the critical text project of the Book of Mormon which tracts the changes from the original extent manuscript and printer's manuscript to the current edition, those changes actually turn into gems of evidence that Joseph Smith did indeed translate the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God...

[Elphaba]

Adversaries read the BOM. They believe it contains sinful type-o's!

No, that's Bruce McConkie's first edition of "Mormon Doctrine."

Elphaba

[NeuroTypical]

However, if one studies the critical text project of the Book of Mormon which tracts the changes from the original extent manuscript and printer's manuscript to the current edition, those changes actually turn into gems of evidence that Joseph Smith did indeed translate the Book of Mormon by the gift and power of God...

And for those of you interested in what exactly this project is:

12 Answers from Royal Skousen

It's very interesting stuff.

LM

[Hemidakota]

I personally find the change almost entirely unnecessary. Perhaps 'principal' is too strong for some, but I take that with the understanding that not all Lamanites descended from Laman. We could call modern Native Americans 'Lamanites' without implying any actual descent from Laman himself, or even Lehi. This would be completely in line with the Book of Mormon from day one, and I think that has been understood from day one, although perhaps not by casual observers.

-a-train

Concur. There are known white skin natives living in the remote area of Brazil jungle. So what...

We have a history of the people of Jared, Mulakites, and Lehites. Who knows what the Savior did among others were are not aware of at this time.