Is everyone thoroughly tired of me referring to Critical Race Theory yet?
This isn't really about that, at least not in the sense of what Critical Race Theory really is. If instead we think of the conservative bogeyman of any history that does not center and laud the actions of straight white men, well... I am thinking about the shortcomings of that system on this 4th of July.
(I admit to thinking about it a lot during the rest of the year too.)
I do understand where members may feel reluctant to criticize various aspects of US history. After all, The Book of Mormon clearly refers to Columbus and the Pilgrims, we believe, and shows them as an important part of the restoration of the gospel here. We have many conference talks and Ensign articles about how the Constitution is inspired.
With that background, it may be uncomfortable to think about Columbus being so zealous in his pursuit of gold that it led to slavery, murder, punitive amputations and genocide, or that one of the earliest Thanksgiving feasts was a celebration of a massacre of Indians, or seeing how the Constitution enshrined racism (which the Supreme Court keeps upholding).
Arguments that the Constitution requires a righteous country works, as long as you will agree that racism is wicked, but racism was also codified in our Church for over a century.
So, how do we reconcile ourselves to this?
I have three thoughts for consideration.
First is that things foretold in prophecy aren't necessarily good. There are things that God makes happen, like having a plan in place, and a savior, and sending that savior into the world. There are also things that perhaps are not wrought by God, but are seen and allowed.
(There is a whole other reconciliation to be done with agency and that we are allowed to choose evil, which many of us frequently do, but those choices and the path to healing from them is covered in the plan.)
But Nephi said that Columbus was inspired! Yes, well, definitely so was Brigham Young, but there's that racism thing again. It is possible that Columbus was a better man at first, and then the ease of enslaving the Arawak went to his head; it would not be the first time fame and pursuit of wealth has corrupted. We can like our life here and be grateful for that without making Columbus a hero or the colonization of the Americas an unquestioned good. It is imperative that we do, because when we don't acknowledge past wrongs we perpetuate them for the present and future.
(ETA: It seems important to clarify that I do not believe that the ban on Black men holding the priesthood was expired. I do assume that overseeing the exodus to Utah and temple building and many other things required inspiration, and that Brigham Young did get it. I also acknowledge that many other people were fine with the ban being instituted and prolonged.)
It is perhaps worth noting here that "Columbus Day" was not a regular official holiday until the Knights of Columbus lobbied for it in 1934, as a way of getting Italian-Americans more accepted. One of the earlier celebrations in 1892 followed the lynching of 11 Italian immigrants by a mob. In trying to quell one type of prejudice, we reinforced another. Surely we can do better than that.
But we needed a free country for the gospel to be restored!
Yes, and this gets us to the third of the thoughts: is it possible that in a country not built on slavery and genocide, that the gospel wouldn't have required so many martyrs?
Because technically if we had freedom of religion, the early Saints being murdered and jailed shouldn't have been a thing.
There is a limit to how much good it does to imagine different historical possibilities; what's done is done.
There is a lot to be gained from honestly assessing where we are now, and how we can do better.
Loyalty to wrongs glossed over with lies will not allow for that.
Those who follow Christ should never be saying "America, right or wrong!" because we should be too committed to right for that.
Beyond that, I assure you that we can handle that. We don't need to be afraid of uncomfortable truths.
There is a plan, and it is a good plan, and there is room for everyone in it.
Additional reading:
https://tlio.org.uk/1637-pequot-massacre-%E2%80%8Bthe-real-story-of-thanksgiving/
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