Christopher Columbus
by Borson M. Hugilhoff
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Heroic Christopher Columbus, during August 1492, began his voyage across the ocean to the Western Hemisphere from Europe. Armed with courage and determination, Columbus supplicated the help of Almighty God and was guided and enlightened by His Holy Spirit. Columbus sailed beyond the realm of what was perceived by the peoples of his day as almost certain death. |
In his own journal writings, Columbus asserts that his voyage west "in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone." Was believed to be a first for the European peoples. His bravery in facing the unknown, literally doubled the geographic size of the world and opened the door for the colonization and then creation of the United States of America.
Christopher Columbus was born at Genoa, which now is part of Italy in 1451. His father was a "respected weaver and local politician." Christopher helped his father in his business until he began sailing the Mediterranean Sea. After a few voyages, Christopher joined his brother Bartolomeo in cartography or chart making.
Portugal during the lifetime of Christopher Columbus was the hub for adventurers and explorers. The trade industry of the time, were interested in an eastern path by ocean to the ports of Japan and China. Christopher Columbus tried to garner support for his desire to sail west directly to the other side of the world to reach the trade markets of Japan and China. The monarchy of Portugal, king John II, did not want to invest in costly exploration and adventures and chose to support ships sailing around Africa to get to the trade ports of the Far East.
After the death of his wife, Christopher Columbus moved with his son Diego from Portugal to Spain. Columbus then pitched his idea to the Spanish monarchy of sailing west to arrive at the trade ports of Japan and China. The Spanish monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella were interested in competing against Portugal in the trade industry and gave polite attention to Columbus' ideas.
In August 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain with three ships the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. On September 6th Columbus' expedition reached and began to enter unknown waters as they continued sailing west. There were no charts to direct him from this point on and he relied upon celestial navigation and the Holy Spirit of God which "wrought upon him" and guided him.
The prophet Nephi wrote that his people or seed would be destroyed by the seed of his brethren the Lamanites, who dwell upon the "land of promise." In Book of Mormon phraseology the "land of promise" is the America's or Western Hemisphere. An angel of the Lord instructed Nephi concerning the seed of his brethren the Lamanites, that "these shall dwindle in unbelief. And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations" (1 Nephi 12:22-23).
The angel of the Lord then shows Nephi in vision the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles. These nations and kingdoms were separated by "many waters" from the seed of his brethren the Lamanites, that dwell upon the America's. It is the righteous Gentiles, that were across the "many waters" who believe in the Lamb of God, that are to "obtain the land for their inheritance" which is the land of America (1 Nephi 13:14-15). Nephi is shown that these Gentiles "were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain" by the Lamanites (1 Nephi 13:15).
The angel of the Lord taught Nephi that the monarchies and belief system of the Gentiles in Europe were slaying true followers of Christ. That this system "tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity" (1 Nephi 13:5).
It was after the mission of Christopher Columbus that many Gentiles set sail upon the "many waters" for the America's. They were "wrought upon" or worked upon by the "Spirit of God." This prepared them to go forth "out of captivity" from the oppressive belief system of the monarchies of the Gentiles of Europe (see 1 Nephi 13:13).
Christopher Columbus served as the agent in the hands of the Lord to open the way for these Gentiles to flee oppression and come to a land wherein they could worship Almighty God within a free society. While communing with an angel of the Lord, the prophet Nephi was shown "a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down an wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land" (1 Nephi 13:12).
In the journal of Christopher Columbus concerning his first westward voyage he begins by telling the reader that he is doing this "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." In Columbus' September 17, 1492 journal entry he states that their westward voyage "in which direction I trust in that high God in whose hands are all victories that very soon we shall sight land." Even with the faith, hope and trust in God that his expedition would be successful, trial and fear would arise.
Even with some signs that land was eminent. Fears and concerns of not reaching land or being able to return gripped the crew. It was during the last week of September 1492 that Columbus records in his journal that the winds and sea became very calm. The crew began to murmur before Columbus. They were "much excited" thinking that they would never be able to return to Spain. They exclaimed: "that in these seas no wind ever blew in the direction of Spain." Then a miracle happened. Columbus likened this unto when the children of Israel murmured before Moses when he was leading them out of captivity across the Red Sea. Columbus records that, "the sea rose very much, without wind, which astonished" the crew. This miracle was needed for Columbus to help calm the fears of his crew.
Afterwards, when the crew of the Nina believed that they spotted land for the first time, they signaled to the ship that Columbus was on and Columbus records, "that he gave thanks to the Lord on his knees."
Returning to the prophet Nephi, the angel of the Lord let him see, "a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land" (1 Nephi 13:12).
On Friday October 12, 1492 Columbus and his crew found land in the west and approached an island and went ashore and Columbus records that they "saw naked people." Columbus described the inhabitants as people that go forth as naked as when their mothers bore them. They had short coarse hair that came down to their eyebrows and even though they were not white or black, they would paint their bodies black, red, white etc. Columbus didn't harm the natives. He made that clear in his journal, because he wanted the natives to be friendly to them for all future expeditions.
This successful expedition by Columbus and his small fleet, opened the door for many "Gentiles" of Europe to come forth out of "captivity" to the promised land. These Gentiles brought with them a "book." This "book" the bible, which was of "great worth unto the Gentiles" (1 Nephi 13:23) was the means for "the Spirit of the Lord" to be upon the "Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance" (1 Nephi 13:15). Nephi also seen, that these "Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them."
At this time, the wrath of God was upon two sets of people. The first set of people that the angel of God tells us are the seed of Nephi's brethren. The angel of God instructed Nephi that, "Behold, the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren" (1 Nephi 13:11). These are the descendants of Laman and Lemuel that dwelt upon the land of the America's. The Lord tells us why, because they had "dwindled in unbelief," that they were "full of idleness and all manner of abominations" (1 Nephi 12:23).
The second group of people that the wrath of God was upon are named by the angel of God as the "mother Gentiles." The "mother Gentiles" were the economic powers of Europe that sought to colonize the America's for gain. The European monarchies used their militaries and "gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against" the Gentiles that came out from captivity from Europe that now dwelt upon the land of promise. Nephi beheld that the "power of God was with them;" that is, the Gentiles that believed in the bible that were in the America's. The "wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle" (1 Nephi 13:18). Which is now known as The American Revolution and all other derivative conflicts that were prior to and that carried over from it.
The righteous Gentiles, that carried forth the bible into the land of the America's "were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations" (1 Nephi 13:19). For "Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them." Among this group are the ones God inspired to draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. For the Lord tells us through a revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, "And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood" (D&C 101:80).
Because the wrath of God was upon the seed of Nephi's brethren, the descendants of Laman and Lemuel, "they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten" (1 Nephi 13:14). God tells us though, that he will "not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy" the seed of Lehi. God is clear though, that it is he that "visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles" (1 Nephi 13:34).
God also, promised that he will not suffer to allow the Gentiles upon this land to remain in a "state of blindness" because of the "plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back" from the bible. God has prepared for them the Restoration of the Gospel of Christ. The Lord tells us, "I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb" (1 Nephi 13:34).
It is by the Gentiles of this land that the Lord restored the "plain and precious" parts of his gospel. And it is by the Gentiles of this land that the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ is to go forth "unto the remnant of the seed of" Nephi's "brethren" (1 Nephi 13:38). This Restoration is for the "convincing" of them that "the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true" (1 Nephi 13:39).
Christopher Columbus was an emissary of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was led by the Holy Spirit of God to discover the Western Hemisphere of this world. In doing so, God could then establish by means of the Gentiles a free society for his followers and prepare a place for the Restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The United States and the Constitution are established to create a free society for the work of the Lord to go forth. Christopher Columbus should be honored for fulfilling his part in our freedom.
Christopher Columbus was born at Genoa, which now is part of Italy in 1451. His father was a "respected weaver and local politician." Christopher helped his father in his business until he began sailing the Mediterranean Sea. After a few voyages, Christopher joined his brother Bartolomeo in cartography or chart making.
Portugal during the lifetime of Christopher Columbus was the hub for adventurers and explorers. The trade industry of the time, were interested in an eastern path by ocean to the ports of Japan and China. Christopher Columbus tried to garner support for his desire to sail west directly to the other side of the world to reach the trade markets of Japan and China. The monarchy of Portugal, king John II, did not want to invest in costly exploration and adventures and chose to support ships sailing around Africa to get to the trade ports of the Far East.
After the death of his wife, Christopher Columbus moved with his son Diego from Portugal to Spain. Columbus then pitched his idea to the Spanish monarchy of sailing west to arrive at the trade ports of Japan and China. The Spanish monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella were interested in competing against Portugal in the trade industry and gave polite attention to Columbus' ideas.
In August 1492, Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain with three ships the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. On September 6th Columbus' expedition reached and began to enter unknown waters as they continued sailing west. There were no charts to direct him from this point on and he relied upon celestial navigation and the Holy Spirit of God which "wrought upon him" and guided him.
The prophet Nephi wrote that his people or seed would be destroyed by the seed of his brethren the Lamanites, who dwell upon the "land of promise." In Book of Mormon phraseology the "land of promise" is the America's or Western Hemisphere. An angel of the Lord instructed Nephi concerning the seed of his brethren the Lamanites, that "these shall dwindle in unbelief. And it came to pass that I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations" (1 Nephi 12:22-23).
The angel of the Lord then shows Nephi in vision the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles. These nations and kingdoms were separated by "many waters" from the seed of his brethren the Lamanites, that dwell upon the America's. It is the righteous Gentiles, that were across the "many waters" who believe in the Lamb of God, that are to "obtain the land for their inheritance" which is the land of America (1 Nephi 13:14-15). Nephi is shown that these Gentiles "were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain" by the Lamanites (1 Nephi 13:15).
The angel of the Lord taught Nephi that the monarchies and belief system of the Gentiles in Europe were slaying true followers of Christ. That this system "tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity" (1 Nephi 13:5).
It was after the mission of Christopher Columbus that many Gentiles set sail upon the "many waters" for the America's. They were "wrought upon" or worked upon by the "Spirit of God." This prepared them to go forth "out of captivity" from the oppressive belief system of the monarchies of the Gentiles of Europe (see 1 Nephi 13:13).
Christopher Columbus served as the agent in the hands of the Lord to open the way for these Gentiles to flee oppression and come to a land wherein they could worship Almighty God within a free society. While communing with an angel of the Lord, the prophet Nephi was shown "a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down an wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land" (1 Nephi 13:12).
In the journal of Christopher Columbus concerning his first westward voyage he begins by telling the reader that he is doing this "in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." In Columbus' September 17, 1492 journal entry he states that their westward voyage "in which direction I trust in that high God in whose hands are all victories that very soon we shall sight land." Even with the faith, hope and trust in God that his expedition would be successful, trial and fear would arise.
Even with some signs that land was eminent. Fears and concerns of not reaching land or being able to return gripped the crew. It was during the last week of September 1492 that Columbus records in his journal that the winds and sea became very calm. The crew began to murmur before Columbus. They were "much excited" thinking that they would never be able to return to Spain. They exclaimed: "that in these seas no wind ever blew in the direction of Spain." Then a miracle happened. Columbus likened this unto when the children of Israel murmured before Moses when he was leading them out of captivity across the Red Sea. Columbus records that, "the sea rose very much, without wind, which astonished" the crew. This miracle was needed for Columbus to help calm the fears of his crew.
Afterwards, when the crew of the Nina believed that they spotted land for the first time, they signaled to the ship that Columbus was on and Columbus records, "that he gave thanks to the Lord on his knees."
Returning to the prophet Nephi, the angel of the Lord let him see, "a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land" (1 Nephi 13:12).
On Friday October 12, 1492 Columbus and his crew found land in the west and approached an island and went ashore and Columbus records that they "saw naked people." Columbus described the inhabitants as people that go forth as naked as when their mothers bore them. They had short coarse hair that came down to their eyebrows and even though they were not white or black, they would paint their bodies black, red, white etc. Columbus didn't harm the natives. He made that clear in his journal, because he wanted the natives to be friendly to them for all future expeditions.
This successful expedition by Columbus and his small fleet, opened the door for many "Gentiles" of Europe to come forth out of "captivity" to the promised land. These Gentiles brought with them a "book." This "book" the bible, which was of "great worth unto the Gentiles" (1 Nephi 13:23) was the means for "the Spirit of the Lord" to be upon the "Gentiles, and they did prosper and obtain the land for their inheritance" (1 Nephi 13:15). Nephi also seen, that these "Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them."
At this time, the wrath of God was upon two sets of people. The first set of people that the angel of God tells us are the seed of Nephi's brethren. The angel of God instructed Nephi that, "Behold, the wrath of God is upon the seed of thy brethren" (1 Nephi 13:11). These are the descendants of Laman and Lemuel that dwelt upon the land of the America's. The Lord tells us why, because they had "dwindled in unbelief," that they were "full of idleness and all manner of abominations" (1 Nephi 12:23).
The second group of people that the wrath of God was upon are named by the angel of God as the "mother Gentiles." The "mother Gentiles" were the economic powers of Europe that sought to colonize the America's for gain. The European monarchies used their militaries and "gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against" the Gentiles that came out from captivity from Europe that now dwelt upon the land of promise. Nephi beheld that the "power of God was with them;" that is, the Gentiles that believed in the bible that were in the America's. The "wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle" (1 Nephi 13:18). Which is now known as The American Revolution and all other derivative conflicts that were prior to and that carried over from it.
The righteous Gentiles, that carried forth the bible into the land of the America's "were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations" (1 Nephi 13:19). For "Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them." Among this group are the ones God inspired to draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. For the Lord tells us through a revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, "And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood" (D&C 101:80).
Because the wrath of God was upon the seed of Nephi's brethren, the descendants of Laman and Lemuel, "they were scattered before the Gentiles and were smitten" (1 Nephi 13:14). God tells us though, that he will "not suffer that the Gentiles will utterly destroy" the seed of Lehi. God is clear though, that it is he that "visited them in judgment, and smitten them by the hand of the Gentiles" (1 Nephi 13:34).
God also, promised that he will not suffer to allow the Gentiles upon this land to remain in a "state of blindness" because of the "plain and most precious parts of the gospel of the Lamb which have been kept back" from the bible. God has prepared for them the Restoration of the Gospel of Christ. The Lord tells us, "I will be merciful unto the Gentiles in that day, insomuch that I will bring forth unto them, in mine own power, much of my gospel, which shall be plain and precious, saith the Lamb" (1 Nephi 13:34).
It is by the Gentiles of this land that the Lord restored the "plain and precious" parts of his gospel. And it is by the Gentiles of this land that the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ is to go forth "unto the remnant of the seed of" Nephi's "brethren" (1 Nephi 13:38). This Restoration is for the "convincing" of them that "the records of the prophets and of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are true" (1 Nephi 13:39).
Christopher Columbus was an emissary of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was led by the Holy Spirit of God to discover the Western Hemisphere of this world. In doing so, God could then establish by means of the Gentiles a free society for his followers and prepare a place for the Restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The United States and the Constitution are established to create a free society for the work of the Lord to go forth. Christopher Columbus should be honored for fulfilling his part in our freedom.