Amerindian Identity, the Book of Mormon, and the American Dream

Year 2004, Issue: 19, 21 - 33, 01.04.2004

G. St. John Stott

Abstract

In 1829 William Apess 1798-1839 published his autobiography, Son of the Forest, in which he foresaw Native Americans flocking to accept Christianity and “occupy[ing] seats in the kingdom” before his white readers would O’Connell 51 . The following year—but without any knowledge of Apess’ work — Joseph Smith, Jr. 1805-44 published the Book of Mormon, in which he foresaw the same, and indeed went further. As well as anticipating their conversion, Smith envisioned Native Americans both building an American New Jerusalem and acting as God’s scourge, executing divine judgment on an apostate United States Stott “New Jerusalem” 75-76 . Unlike those of his generation whose valuation of Indianness “went hand in hand with the dispossession and conquest of actual Indian people” Deloria 182 , Smith foresaw the dispossession and conquest of the whites.

Keywords

Amerindian, Identity, American Dream

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