Mormon and Native American Relations: A Complex History

LDS Perspective

From the earliest days of the Restoration, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have viewed Native Americans through the theological lens of the Book of Mormon, believing them to be descendants of Book of Mormon peoples (often referred to as Lamanites) who possess a sacred covenant heritage connecting them to ancient Israel. Published in 1830—the same year the United States Congress passed the Indian Removal Act—the Book of Mormon gave the Saints a unique perspective on the indigenous peoples they encountered. They did not see Native Americans as simply another tribe to be displaced but as heirs to God's promises, a remnant of the house of Israel whom the Lord had not forgotten. This belief drove early Latter-day Saint missionary efforts. In September 1830, just mont

Historical Perspective

The relationship between early Mormon settlers and Native American tribes was characterized by a complex theological framework that positioned indigenous peoples as "Lamanites"—descendants of Book of Mormon civilizations who had been cursed with dark skin for transgression against their righteous brethren. This theological construct, articulated in Alma 3:6 of the Book of Mormon, established a paternalistic dynamic wherein Mormon leaders believed they held the key to Native American redemption and "whitening." Joseph Smith received revelations in 1831 encouraging Mormon men to take "wives of the Lamanites and Nephites, that their posterity may become white, delightsome and just," a doctrine recorded in a letter from W.W. Phelps to Brigham Young dated August 12, 1861. Early missionary effor