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Legends

The Indian Legend of Moroni
By Richard Hensley

It is known by stories by Old Ones and legends of many different tribes that once there were mighty nations or civilizations upon the land. The people then were strong and had an abundance of crops for their families. Peace reigned supreme.

Among the Ancient Ones were holy men who taught the ways of their religion and preserved a record of the Great Spirit and His leadership of the earlier, mighty people. This very old record was passed down from the Spiritual Ones to a particular medicine man who walked close to the Creator. Sometimes this precious document was entrusted to the favored son of a chief and thereby ensured that it would be continued to be used as a guide for the people in the event of the chief's death. It said that there never was such a blessed people upon the face of the Earth.

But after many years of abundance, threatening divisions began to appear among them. Some individuals began to feel they were better somehow than their brothers and sisters. They nourished pride in their hearts and turned from the old ways. Others began to war with different clans, until this great civilization began to break up into fractious tribes. These things happened because the people no longer listened to the Ancient Ones and the Holy Men. Eventually, the inter-tribal conflicts escalated into great wars, and the people scattered in all direction. At this point, the Creator looked down on His creatures and was sorry in His heart that they forgot the ways He conveyed to them through their prophets.

Now there came a mighty warrior who still walked in the paths of the old religion. He preserved the sacred, written record of his people's history and the great prophecies they long ago received. The Creator told this warrior, whose name Moroni, to hide the holy document within Mother Earth until such time as the creator would bring them forth again.

The wars grew even more terrible, dividing the people over and over. A few of the Ancient Ones survived to keep alive the old religion that had once brought such peace and plenty. But even these sages no longer possessed the written records, so all they could do to preserve the past was to tell stories of former times in an attempt to revive the religion of the Great Spirit. In the process of oral transmission, he became known by various names --- Woconda Wonca Tolka and so forth. Many of these old stories have been passed down by the grandfathers to our children. I n the sacred record hidden by that mighty warrior, Moroni, were many important prophecies. One told of the white man coming over the great waters and taking from the Indians that which was his --- the land. It described how the white man would make war and afflict those who lived here for so long.

Among the most beautiful of the prophecies told that the Son of the Creator would come down from the Great Spirit and walk among His native people. The holy men who witnessed this happening wrote the words which the Son of the Creator gave them. This was how they received their religion, which helped them to grow in peace and love for each other. The prophecy goes on to tell how they would one day leave behind their religion given to them by Morning Star Visitor, or the Creators Son. As a consequence, they would fall into bloody wars among themselves, brother against brother, tribe against tribe. The Creator, looking down on their strife, saw all these wars and the coming of the white man in many boats from far away lands to hurt the native people. Soon, they were in bondage.

The white man did not understand their ways and had no respect for his Mother Earth. He said the great spirit loved only the white man's ways, and the Indians, as they were called, had to be like the white man; to forget their own culture and ways. He told lies and cheated the Indian, even though the white man's own god told him these things were wrong. Soon, the buffalo and other game which the Creator had provided were hardly to be found anywhere. The Great Spirit looked down and was sad because of the crimes committed by the whites on His native people. He said, "It is time for the sacred record to come now from out of Mother Earth, that the children of men may know the true religion and respect the land and the animals. And that this land belongs to my native people."

He said to His Son, "The record must first go to the white man, that he may know of the correct religion, repent of his evil ways and help the native people have their land to live as true brothers and sisters. Yes, the true record will go first to the white man, to give him his chance to repent and change his ways. If he does not, I will bring a great destruction upon him. I have made many promises to my native people and the sacred record will go back to them, that they will know again of their true religion. Then wars will cease and peace come upon the land and the sacred circle will be made complete again. All the tribes will come together to complete it. The land will go back to the native people who will know their true religion.

"The White, Black, Red and yellow peoples of the Earth will learn the true religion and peace will come. When these days take place, the Son of the Great Spirit will walk once again on the Earth, as He promised to return."
 
 
 

Indian Ministry Council of the Americas
821 Linz Ave.
Blue Springs, Mo.
64014

Ancient American issue # 22