3 Truths The Restoration Teaches Us About Christopher Columbus

3 Truths The Restoration Teaches Us About Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus is one of the most controversial historical figures. Whereas academia has demonized him, the leaders of the church have defended him as instrumental in the hands of God. It is quite funny how often academia has demonized someone who the Church defends… Like Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and many other leaders of the church or our nation. I think it is vital to understand that slander is Satan’s greatest tool to destroy and discredit the Restoration; it is also essential to think critically about what you hear and what motives they might have. 

With regards to Columbus, before we can go over the truths the Restoration teaches us there are three crucial things to remember about Columbus. (And this is not meant to justify his actions):

First, we can not judge someone in the 1400s by 2020 standards as we do far too often with historical figures; this is a fallacy called presentism. Nobody can be fairly judged by standards they did not know; this fallacy is commonly used to attack our founding fathers and other historical figures. You would not like to be judged this way, so we should also refrain from judging others with presentism. For example, people are outraged when they hear that Columbus’s crew cropped the ears (chopped the tips off) of the native Americans they caught stealing, but what they fail to tell you is that this was a COMMON practice even in the days of Joseph Smith! 

Secondly, we must remember that Columbus was challenging Catholic Christianity, with his claims of angels, visions, and revelations. To many of Columbus’s opponents, he is a heretic. And in the 1400 and 1500’s it was common to lie about a heretic to get them arrested. The Inquisition is proof that many innocent people were charged with fake crimes and punished for political reasons. Of Christopher Columbus, the Ensign has said:

“Some of the debunkers, however, have become overenthusiastic, even slanderous, in their attempts to demythologize Columbus. Their approach often serves to bolster a political cause rather than promote a search for truth. Such activity is counterproductive, not because it tears down the heroic myth, but because it merely sets another myth in its place—the equally false myth of Columbus as a villain.”
Columbus and the Hand of God – Ensign Oct. 1992

Thirdly, many attribute the actions of others to Columbus or accuse him falsely of genocide. Dr. Andrew Bibby, the chair of Constitutional Studies at UVU, in the class, said the following regarding Columbus and his critics. “To blame Columbus for all the evils that happened to the natives and to call it genocide is to cheapen real genocide and blame Columbus for the actions of others.” Clark B. Hinckley taught this at Education Week in 2021, he explained that to blame Columbus for what others did with his discovery would be like blaming Einstein for Nuclear Weapons.

So what is the truth about Columbus? Here are three facts that the Apostles have taught about Columbus.

1st. Christopher Columbus was led to America by God. 

The Book of Mormon teaches us that Christopher Columbus was led by God to discover America and lead a whole new wave of immigrants to the new world. We learn this in 1st Nephi 13:12, which says:

And I looked and beheld a man among the gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many water; 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.

Speaking about this verse in  1976, President N. Eldon Tanner said. “This, as we know, refers to Christopher Columbus, who was impelled by the Spirit of God to cross the ocean for the rediscovery of America, thus assisting in the furthering of God’s purposes.” (italics added)

But President Tanner is not the only Apostle who stated that Christopher Columbus was called of God. In 2005, Elder Robert D. Hales said, “In 1492 Christopher Columbus set out to find a new path to the Far East. Columbus was led by the hand of God in his journey.”  (italics added)

In the mouth of three witnesses in 1975, President Marion G. Romney taught: “In 1492, in harmony with the Lord’s statement heretofore quoted, “that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord” (2 Ne. 1:6), Columbus was divinely led to America.” (italics added)

2nd. Columbus is one of only five men in the entire history of the Church who was ordained a High Priest instead of an Elder in the temple. 

Less well-known than 1st Nephi 13:12 is the vision Wilford Woodruff has in August of 1877 in which the signers of the Declaration of Independence “demanded” their temple work be done. As they had played their role in the Restoration and it had not been done yet. Subsequently, Wilford Woodruff was baptized for 54 of the signers.

What does this have to do with Christopher Columbus? Everything. These Baptisms were performed on the 21st of August. Still, Wilford Woodruff was not baptized only for these 54 men; he was also baptized for 46 other men that day by John McAllister, (John was Also baptized for 21 people, and Lucy Bigelow Young for 70 Sisters including the wives of many of the signers). Christopher Columbus was among those 100 people whom Wilford Woodruff was baptized on behalf of.

Over the next three days, Wilford Woodruff called upon the saints to help with the endowments of these eminent men and women. In his journals, he accounts that of these 121 men who received their endowments, 5 were ordained to the office of High Priest. Those 5 include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Wesley, and Christopher Columbus, the fifth is unnamed at this part of the journal and later identified as Admiral Horatio Nelson, A British Admiral who repelled Napoleon’s attempt to invade England. (Journals of Wilford Woodruff 7:367-369) That is some distinguished company to be in.

3rd. Angel Moroni visited Columbus.

Even less well-known than Nephi’s prophecy of Columbus or President Woodruff’s ordaining him to the office of High Priest is the fact that Moroni visited Columbus and was the one who guided him to the New World. Orson Hyde taught the following

“This same angel [Moroni] was with Columbus, and gave him deep impressions, by dreams and by visions, respecting this New World. Trammeled by poverty and by an unpopular cause, yet his persevering and unyielding heart would not allow an obstacle in his way too great for him to overcome; and the angel of God helped him—was with him on the stormy deep, calmed the troubled elements, and guided his frail vessel to the desired haven.”
Elder Orson Hyde, July 4th, 1854 (Journal of Discourses 6:368).

Columbus has already had his temple work done, and he is square with God. I think that many of his critics would better spend their time focusing on becoming square with God themselves rather than finding a mote in Columbus’ eye. 

PS: Debunking the notion Columbus did not discover America.

Now a final note. A lot of people claim that Columbus did not discover America, but that is NOT true! Whereas Columbus was NOT the first person to sail to America! Many others did. If you are a Latter-day Saint you believe the Jaredites and the Lehites, as well as the Mulekites all came to America before Columbus! Let alone Leif Erikson or others.

BUT Discover does NOT mean to be the first to do something. Merriam-webster dictionary has this definition of the word discover: “to make known or visible: EXPOSE” Yes, others might’ve been to the Americas before, but Columbus was the first to document the TRADE WINDS and how they could be used to travel both to and from America. He then made this PUBLIC to the world. Therefore, by the very definition of the word, he discovered America, he came here and documented and made known the way for others to do the same. Say what you will about Columbus, but as for discovering America and the trade winds stop claiming he did not.