The intro to the Book of Mormon is part of what makes me curious about Joseph Smith's racial identity. It appears that this book is supposed to be designed to bring harmony to a racially divided world, although the solution proposed is to make everyone conform to one worldview only. I think most would agree to that.
Clearly I haven't read the Book of Mormon in a while, and my reasons for reading previously were not really interest-driven. But I, like the Eco Kosher Rabbe, had the impression that Mormons were claiming some kind of kinship to the Jews. And also claiming that Native Americans are the descendants of Jews. So I looked up the introduction to the Book of Mormon, to look at it a little closer.
This is the paragraph I am interested in:
Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel and also to Jew and Gentile—Written by way of commandment, and also by the spirit of prophecy and of revelation—Written and sealed up, and hid up unto the Lord, that they might not be destroyed—To come forth by the gift and power of God unto the interpretation thereof—Sealed by the hand of Moroni, and hid up unto the Lord, to come forth in due time by way of the Gentile—
So here, clearly it looks like Joseph Smith has what I think history has proven to be a friendly, if perhaps patronizing attitude towards both Jews and Native Americans. And he's not really calling himself a Jew here or a "Lamanite". He is obviously the Gentile, whose job it is to bring the book to the modern world. It is interesting that he isn't referred to as a Christian, though. He is still using a Jewish moniker to describe his identity.
No comments:
Post a Comment