Mormon Beliefs about Native Americans
When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved into the Great Basin region, members quickly became familiar with the Native Americans inhabiting the region. In many places in the West, settlers and Native American residents were at violent odds. The new Mormon inhabitants of the Great Basin treated Native Americans differently than other settlers in the West. The way Latter-day Saints interacted with Native Americans was influenced by their religious beliefs. The Book of Mormon, the main religious text for the Church, prominently features two groups: the Nephites and the Lamanites. At the end of the Book of Mormon the Lamanites rebel against the teachings of Jesus Christ and are considered ‘fallen’ from the light of
truth. The Lamanites are believed by Mormons to be ancient ancestors of Native Americans.
In the Book of Mormon a significant part of the doctrine surrounding the Lamanites contends that the gospel will
“be restored unto the knowledge of their fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus
Christ, which was had among their fathers. And then shall they rejoice; for they shall
know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God…”
This scripture, and others like it, impressed upon early LDS leaders the importance of teaching Native Americans the gospel. The leaders felt like the Church had a divine mission to bring the gospel to the Native American inhabitants of the Great Basin. Additionally, the Prophet Joseph Smith, the founder of the LDS religion, unveiled revelation concerning the Civil War that stated Native Americans would “marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles [non-Mormons] with a sore vexation.” Brigham Young, who became Prophet after the murder of Smith, kept this revelation in the back of his mind when dealing with Native Americans. The Mormon church had been persecuted by the United States and were sorely in need of allies. If the Church could convince Native Americans that they were different from other Americans, perhaps the two groups could ally.
1
2
3
4
Under Brigham Young, sometimes nicknamed the ‘Great Colonizer,’ LDS members spread rapidly across the Utah area. Mormon settlers moved to areas that were inhabited by different Native American groups, leading to conflicts between settlers and Native Americans. However, the Church would not stop colonizing. Because of continuous emigration to Utah, the Church was constantly on the lookout for more land for settlers. The tension between the groups led Young to develop the Church’s policy toward Native Americans as he “foresaw that the Indians must suffer, in the loss of their historic folkways and culture patterns, but he saw also that their individual good would best be served by changing the character of their life and providing them with a new economic base.” Young believed that Native Americans were people who must be acted upon, rather than people who will act. Indian missions set up by the Church aided the new economic base for Native Americans. The missionaries stationed at each mission aimed to teach Native Americans the Mormon Gospel, farming techniques, and in some cases, how to read and write. Especially important was farming, as it tied into Young’s policy of feeding the Native Americans, rather than fighting them. It was cheaper to feed the Native Americans than to fight them.
5
As governor of the territory of Utah, Brigham Young was also the superintendent of Indian Affairs of the area. President Millard Fillmore appointed Young to both of these positions in September of 1850. Along with the appointment came federally appointed Indian affairs subagents, several of which ended up leaving Utah territory. One agent, Day, even said that he would start his job again if able to work independently of Brigham Young and the Mormons.
6
Figure 1
1. Mormon, Latter-day Saints, and LDS will be used to refer to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also referred to as the Church, the LDS church, or the Mormon church.
2. The Church has begun to move away from stating that the Lamanites are the primary ancestors of NativeAmericans, instead stating that they are one of the many ancestors of Native Americans. See https://www.lds.org/topics/book-of-mormon-and-dna-studies?lang=eng for more details.
3. 2 Nephi 30:5-6, 2013 edition of the Book of Mormon.​
4. The Doctrine and Covenants, Section 87:5, 2013 edition of the Book of Mormon.
5. Dale L. Morgan, “The Administration of Indian Affairs in Utah, 1581-1858,” 389.
6. Day to Lea, January 9, 1852, The Utah Expedition, 132, 133.
​
Figure 1. Charles Roscoe Savage - L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11302994