I'm currently in the process of writing a 1250 word essay about how a strong belief in God among the early settlers of this country has shaped the "American Ethos," which, if I understand the term correctly, refers to the values and principles held by most Americans or by America as a whole. In my paper, I state that most of the people that came to America felt that they had been brought here by the hand of God, and that God wanted them to be here. Some thought that this gave them the "divine right" to all of America's goods, and the natives were inconsequential. Others felt that America was a sort of "Promised Land" that God would allow them the privilege of living in so long as they lived worthily of the privilege.
A few things that I'm not putting in my paper, however, are that it was the native's Promised Land first, and that their patriarch, Lehi, prophesied that "there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord" (2 Nephi 1:6), which is a real shame, because that would be an awesome quote to include. Because of the Book of Mormon, I know that this continent is, indeed, the Land of Promise that many settlers felt that it was. I know that the settlers must have been brought into the land by the hand of God, as they felt they were. I also suspect that it was in line with God's will for the settlers to scourge the Native Americans, or Lamanites, because they had rejected God and become wicked, and were perhaps no longer worthy to live on this land of promise.
It's horrible that I have so much information that confirms so much of what the settlers believed, and I can't use any of it. Sure, I could say that "I believe" such and such, but I couldn't say why I believe it without getting my religion involved. Then again, this paper is all about the religion of the settlers, so why shouldn't I involve mine? It's not very professional. It would be hard to make it sound good. It might adversely affect my grade on this paper. But what have I got to lose? I've been struggling to write this paper. Maybe God has been hedging up my way because He wants me to write about what I know and believe on this subject. The settlers were right to think that they were brought here by the hand of God. They may even have been right in thinking that they were justified in attacking the natives. It's hard to excuse their brutality, but it wouldn't have been the first time God condoned the martial destruction of a wicked people.
It's hard for me to know when I should involve my religion in a paper or a class and when not to. I generally don't because religion usually doesn't have much to do with the subject matter and I don't want to make things awkward for people or spark any religious debates in class. I can't bring my religion into the picture without opening up a can of worms that may be better left closed. As I work on my essay some more this afternoon, I'll pray to guidance to know what to say and I'll pray that if God wants me to include references to the Book of Mormon, He'll continue to make it difficult for me as I try not to. I had hoped that writing this blog post would get this out of my system, but I'm afraid that it just primed the pump. I may have to take my chances, especially since I'm beginning to think that God wants me to.
1 comment:
Yes, I rather understand your dilemma. We are to stand as witnesses of God at all times in all places, but we also need to live and cooperate in this world and we need to not offend and repel those we with whom we share. We want our witness to be a light and not a source of contention. And in some situations there are rules and regulations to consider. We are not to preach and proselyte at work - especially when we are supposed to be working! Probably the same thing with school. Time and place. It sounds like you are being inspired to include our understanding of this land of promise. Now the trick is to do it in a way that increases understanding and stimulates thought and discussion without causing contention. If you have time, you might try to research if other peoples who have come to this land have similar beliefs. Study, pray, and write prayerfully. Then smile and be pleasant even if some persecution may follow. As you know from your formal full-time mission, sometimes the reception does not seem good, but seeds may sprout later. Is this another Paladin opportunity?
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