Introduction to The Book of Mormon Changed
Change may imply shift in the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsOne of the most contested beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the belief that the alleged writers of The Book of Mormon, Israelites who migrated to the American continent 600 years before the birth of Christ, are the ancestors of modern day Native Americans. This belief has been challenged by both DNA analyses and language studies of Native Americans. Both areas of study show that the link between Native Americans and Israel is a falsehood.
Since 1981, the church has included their belief that Native Americans are connected to Israel within the text of the introduction to The Book of Mormon. Included is the statement that that the before mentioned Israelite migrants are “the principal ancestors of the American Indians”.
Prior to 1981, The Book of Mormon did not contain this introduction. Previous versions included a section titled “Origin of The Book of Mormon” where an account of Joseph Smith about his discovery and translation of the book is printed. Included in this this account is mention that The Book of Mormon is a record of, “the former inhabitants”, of the American continent.
In 2004 Doubleday began publishing a commercial version of The Book of Mormon, including the introduction and the statement about Israelites being the “principal ancestors of the American Indians”.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, LDS Church leaders have instructed Doubleday to change this statement to say that the Israelite migrants are “among the ancestors of American Indians” instead of being the “primary” ancestors. LDS Leaders instructed Doubleday to do this so the commercial printing would align with a new edition of The Book of Mormon to be printed by the church in the near future.
With this change, it seems that the LDS Church is modifying their beliefs about the ancestry of Native Americans to more align themselves with scientific evidence to the contrary. This modification does, however, allow for the possibility that some Native Americans are descendants of Israelites, even though no objective and significant evidence has been found to justify such a belief. Without this belief, however, The Book of Mormon could not be considered a valid history within the church.
A belief that The Book of Mormon is a valid historical document, translated by the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, is required of all members and converts. The church’s entire missionary program revolves around people being converted by the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon. Smith wrote that it is, “the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion”. The belief that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and received revelations from God, some of which led to the production of The Book of Mormon, is essential to the belief system of the LDS Church. Gordon B. Hinckley, current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has before said that if Smith was not what he claimed to be, “then [the church] is a fraud”.
The shifting beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is well documented. From the nature of God, to polygamy, the church has evolved its beliefs. This change to The Book of Mormon signifies another period of evolution as the church struggles with mounting evidence contrary to its beliefs and outside criticisms.
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