Special Lamanite Section

The Lamanites (Introduction)

Editors’ note (Feb. 2022): Articles in the magazines archive may reflect practices and language of an earlier time. A more current message from the magazines on Native American and First Nations people is “Come unto Me, O Ye House of Israel.” See also “American Indians” and “Lamanite Identity” in Church History Topics.

As we attempt to solve the complex puzzle we call life, there is a constant search for elements that will clarify the picture. For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of the keys to this great pattern of existence is the group of people known as Lamanites. Those not of the Church call these people Indians, although the term actually refers to a broader group than that.

Most members of the Church know that the Lamanites, who consist of the Indians of all the Americas as well as the islanders of the Pacific, are a people with a special heritage. They are also a people with special problems in relation to contemporary society.

This issue of the Ensign examines the promises and problems of the Lamanites and at the same time hopefully will alert the non-Lamanite Latter-day Saint to his responsibilities. The whole story is not here, of course, but there are some significant ideas to be found. The theme or tone of this special presentation is in the article on page 6, “Of Royal Blood,” by President Spencer W. Kimball, Acting President of the Council of the Twelve.