Reading Race, Reading Scripture: Assessing Recent Historical Works on Race and the Book of Mormon

Authors

Joseph R. Stuart

Keywords

race, scripture, historical works, The Book of Mormon

Abstract

Different approaches to reading The Book of Mormon have influenced the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' teachings from 1830 to the present day. Scholars have long recognized that the definition of "Lamanites," one of the primary groups described in the book, has shaped missionary work, Church policy, and public outreach. Indeed, in the Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith received a revelation sending four missionaries to preach "among the Lamanites," perhaps the first justification for preaching among Indigenous peoples. Recent teachings have expanded the definition of Lamanite to include Native and Indigenous peoples on both American continents as well as Polynesians

BYU ScholarsArchive Citation

Stuart, Joseph R. (2019) "Reading Race, Reading Scripture: Assessing Recent Historical Works on Race and the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 28: No. 1, Article 11.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol28/iss1/11