I am a primary chorister in my ward, sharing the calling with my ward bestie. In order to get ideas on how to do the calling better, I joined a group on social media composed of other primary choristers. Having this calling means you have to be a stand-up comedienne, an artist, a master of ceremonies, a soloist – you have to be an entertainer and a performer as well as a teacher. So it can be helpful to have a group of people doing the same calling to swap ideas for visual aids, games, or teaching approaches.
As with any online forum, the discussion boards are also haunted by ideological bias. Most frequently this takes the form of whether games and play are appropriate when our calling is to teach the Gospel. In my opinion play is how children learn and games are a necessary part of promoting engagement and happiness, allowing the Spirit to be present. Sullen crankiness is a real Holy Ghost squasher in my opinion. Others feel tomfoolery is unnecessary and distracts from the reverence that should be associated with the Gospel. To each their own. Every ward is different, with different children, so a one size fits all approach doesn’t really make sense in any case.
This year has spawned a new and very polarizing debate. About two months ago the posts began, which invariably set off a firestorm and get the comments shut down. The original post is always written someone who is not sure if we should teach the song “Book of Mormon Stories” and if so, whether the hand gestures we learned as children are appropriate. The asker always seems to have an uneasy feeling that the song and its attendant motions racist and would like advice. This invariably engenders an absolute explosion of opinions which range from “if you think it’s racist, then it’s probably racist” to “any accommodation of any kind is treasonous.”
- Some Exponent II readers may not have been raised in the Church, or may not have been exposed to all the same approaches to this song, so I’ll provide a quick synopsis of song. It has a rhythmic repetitious bass beat from the piano that sounds somewhat like drumming, and the tune is in minor and is reminiscent of Native American music as portrayed in movies. The lyrics are as follows:
- Book of Mormon stories that my teacher tells to me (hold out hands like an open book)
- Are about the Lamanites in ancient history (Put two fingers behind your head like feathers, or pretend to use a bow and arrow)
- Long ago their fathers came from far across the sea (use hand to make wave motion)
- Given this land if they live righteously (put out right hand for given this land, then left for if they live. For the three syllables of righteously fold one arm away from your body, then the other, then nod firmly)
- Lamanites met others who were seeking liberty (Lamanites again can either be two fingers, or a bow and arrow)
- And the land soon welcomed all who wanted to be free (wave hello)
- Book of Mormon Stories say that we must brothers be (hold hands open like a book)
- Given this land if they live righteously (again fold arms and bow head to the syllables)
There are other verses to the song enumerating various prophets, but the first two verses are the most commonly sung.
So what is the debate about this song? I do not have permission from authors of comments to quote them directly. Instead I am going to paraphrase points and keep the specific source anonymous, even though there are tens of thousands of readers on the group so it is scarcely secret. The gist of the ideological maelstrom is as follows:
Arguments against singing the song:
- -The song perpetuates a stereotype of Native Americans
- -It comes across as mocking
- -The second verse says “Lamanites met others who were seeking liberty” – i.e. white people. The land “soon welcomed all who wanted to be free.” This glosses over the reality of genocide, enslavement, racism and misogyny that actually characterized the contact between indigenous peoples and Europeans.
- -Native members have expressed that the tune comes across as a mockery.
- -Putting up two fingers as feathers to symbolize Native Americans is also mocking rather than celebrating. A bow and arrow movement reinforces stereotypes about indigenous peoples.
- -Maybe every single kid in your primary is white, and will not personally be wounded or understand the stereotyping. But you’re sending them into the world having been taught that making two feathers and whooping is okay, and inevitably at some point someone will point out that they are being racist. You’re setting up kids for unnecessary pain, both those who feel marginalized, and those you are training to stereotype and marginalize others.
- -The song was written in the 1960s. We have grown and learned as a people and should change what we do accordingly
- -Even though I am not hurt by this song, I trust other people when they say that they are. So I am going to look for other options.
- -Current and historical Native American culture and traditions are far removed from our knowledge of Lamanites, so when we use this song and its hand motions we’re drawing connections between peoples that show no evidence of being related.
- -When you know better, you do better. Once you learn that it hurts people, you stop doing it, even if you never meant to hurt anyone.
Arguments for singing the song:
- -People are accountable for their own thoughts, don’t cancel older things that weren’t meant to be offensive to our woke generation
- -I know indigenous people who were not offended by this song
- -Instead of doing two fingers for Lamanites, do a bow and arrow
- -The tune does not need to be changed, people should just think of it as Native American drums, not some Hollywood stereotype
- -The tune is not a caricature, Native people dance with a beat.
- -No one is hurt by this song.
- -There is no harm unless you’re looking to be offended, and in Zion we shouldn’t look for offense.
- -People against this are activists and that should be cut off because of group rules.
- -Not singing this song is just virtue signaling
- -Not singing this song is trying to cancel the past
- -No doctrinal reason not to use the song
- -Need to respect the culture, freedom of speech and rights of people who don’t think it is racist.
- -Critiquing it is stirring up offense and controversy and contention in Zion.
- -The drumbeat in the left hand is about the heartbeat
- -Changing the tune would be confusing to people who already learned it
- -The drum beat is catchy and fun, and shows love for Native American culture
- -The second verse is about Lamanites and Nephites, not Lamanites and Europeans. It’s a reminder that we should all live in peace.
- -The song teaches about living righteously and being blessed, and this is a lesson we need to learn
- -The Prophet approved the songbook
- -The Book of Mormon was written for our day – we need kids to internalize the message “given this land if they live righteously”
- -I feel inspired/I feel strongly/I feel prompted to teach it.
- -The Church would not put it on the suggested songs for Come Follow Me if it were inappropriate or offensive
- -Changes like these are destroying ourselves like Coriantumr or Shiz
- -Jesus didn’t put up with Pharisees not allowing him to speak the truth, he called them dogs and vipers. They were offended and he did it anyway.
- -If we try to appease liberals we might drive away conservatives into apostasy because they feel the church is too “woke”
- -Don’t overthink every little thing, because someone is going to be offended no matter what.
- -I believe this song is kind
- -Not all stereotypes are unkind
- -People choose to be offended. If they don’t want to be offended it’s up to them to change, not you.
- -I am sick of Critical Race Theory, Wokeness, White Karen Liberals, Canecling etc.
- -Fight racism by not trying to be a “white savior” and let Native people speak up for themselves if they’re bothered.
- -I live in an area with a large Native American population, and none of them have said it was offensive.
- -Feathers were a symbol of power, or gifts, or honor, so making feathers as a gesture is honoring and representing
- -If people think this song is racist then they’re saying that the whole Book of Mormon is racist
Arguments for a compromise approach:
- -“In some wards the original tune and actions are just fine, in other places will need revision. The Spirit will guide us!”
- -Skip the first two verses, just teach the ones about specific prophets
- -Just teach “Books in the Book of Mormon” instead (others note that the tune for this is Ten Little Indians and is not an improvement)
- -Sing the song more legato without the drumbeat, and maybe change the key
- -Our job is to do our callings as the Holy Spirit directs, and I feel fine about it. If you’re led to do something else, do something else.
- -Use ASL signs instead
- -Ask the people you think you’ll offend. Maybe they won’t be offended, like you’re thinking.
- -“Think Celestial” (there was no further context to suggest what that might mean in relation to this song)
So where would you land on all this? My co-chorister and I agreed we will not be teaching this song. Instead we’re teaching Come to the Tree of Life and Nephi’s Courage as our January/February introduction to the Book of Mormon. How would you handle it? Has there been conflict within your ward? I live in a very liberal ward and so many of the arguments in favor of singing it came as a sort of shock. I have never encountered members of the Church who saw things this way, but I have a sense that at least in the United States the perspective that “nothing needs to change if it is approved by the First Presidency” is probably the more common view.
18 Responses
As an adult convert, I remember being shocked and cringing the first time I heard this song in a Primary program. The worst part was, I brought my non-member husband that day because I told him “they keep talking about this thing called a Primary program which sounds like a really big deal and something we’re supposed to invite people to, but I don’t know what it is.” It was embarrassing, honestly. I don’t think “well that’s the way it was done before and it’s familiar to me” is a sufficient reason to keep a tradition. Thank you for skipping this one.
If you hadn’t asked, would people have been offended at the omission of the song? You and your co-chorister are thinking, responding, doing what is right. Plus, there are no Native American descendants of Middle Eastern peoples until 150 years ago, so to equate Native Americans to fictitious people mentioned in the book of Mormon is historically inaccurate. we don’t want to teach our children. False history. Thank you for your thoughtful approach to your calling. Keep on keeping on.
I sang this song as a kid in the primary. It was great! We’d thump on our scriptures at the end of the line like they were a bass drum. Last week I played the song in primary, and as much as I have great memories of the song, it’s pretty racist.
The first two verses (the originals from the 60s) are pretty clearly about modern day Native Americans and the assumption that they are very much the Lamanites from the BoM. The OP has the lyrics of the second verse wrong. The final line is “Giv’n the land if we live righteously.” Which, when you look around at my extremely white primary, feels a lot like an endorsement of manifest destiny and the idea that white Christians (the ones ‘seeking liberty … who wanted to be free’) that arrived here are entitled to the land because of our righteousness.
My ward had some less problematic hand actions. No fingers for feathers, and no bows and arrows, but still the folding arms motion for the last line is still there. You can perhaps pass this off as a “folding arms for prayer” motion, but Mormons tend to do that close to their stomachs, whereas the actions to the song always mimic the stereotypical Native American cross armed at chest level. Just as the introduction to the BoM has changed from listing the Lamanites as the “principal” ancestors to “among” the ancestors to the Native Americans, we should move on from this song. At the very least, we could skip the first two verses and only sing the ones that are actually about Book of Mormon stories.
This is a perfect example of how I’m always struggling in my calling with lyrics! I remember how I learned them 30 years ago, or how I think I did. Then I don’t look it up and learn in front of everyone that either I learned words wrong or they have changed. The manifest destiny lyrics are even worse, and really makes it clear that the “others seeking liberty” were white people. Thanks for the clarification!
I told my husband I had just read an article on whether people should still be singing this song. He interjected: We should never have been singing this song.
Hard agree.
It hard for some people to change- but when you know butter, do better.
I find the attitude in some of the arguments for still using it as very unChristlike. The attitude that it is people’s own fault if they get offended and that it is perfectly alright to BE offensive is downright unkind. I think I would be tempted to tell them they are racist and bad Christians, and well if they get offended it’s their own fault, after all they are choosing to be offended.
I like the argument that the song teaches false history. There is all kinds of scientific evidence that says that the Native Americans were not descended from some guy from Jerusalem. If there is any truth at all to the book, then people needs to accept that the Lamonites either completely died out, and erased all archeological and genetic evidence that they had even been on the American continent, or that the BoM took place somewhere else, or was like some Biblical stories and is inspired fiction that teaches true principles. But there is no reality that has been found even connecting the Native Americans to the BoM. Many a testimony of the BoM has die on the rocks of the idea that Lamonites were ancestors to Native Americans, so, let’s just stop teaching that.
I personally do not object to the drum beat and minor key, and let’s face it, kids love the strong beat. So, I have no objection to the music, except that it sounds slightly Native American.
So, I don’t mind the music, but the words are all about Manifest Destiny, and imply that the genocide of the First Nations was because they were not Christian. “given this land, if they lived righteously,” can only mean that they were driven from their land because they were not righteous. And let’s face it, us White People drove them from their land by attempting to exterminate them. So, just who was unrighteous? My ancestors, that’s who.
The words are racist, and OK, I will give them the idea that if the song is racist, then the BoM is racist. So, the Book of Mormon is racist. Say it again, Sam, the Book of Mormon is racist.
So, when we know better, we do better. I loved the song as a kid. It was fun to sing, unlike some of the “reverent” slow dragging funeral dirges they made us sing. Now, I see it for what it is. So, let’s either totally rewrite the song, or just drop it in the dust bin of racist trash from the past.
And I am betting it is not in the new hymn book when it comes out.
Great post! Great question! And thank you for your intentional, thoughtful preparation for your calling. When I was primary president, I realized that the most influential and important calling is the music leader (for all the reasons you give in your post!) I don’t remember very many primary teachers from my youth but I remember my music leaders.
This was always my favorite primary song as a child (one of the few fun songs to sing in primary) and I haven’t thought about it since. Reading the lyrics now (never thought about them as a child), I see how they are problematic. I agree with Oprah’s sentiment, “When we know better, we do better” and think we should adjust our songs accordingly.
I think it is important to note that the composer and author of the first two verses, Elizabeth Fetzer Bates, was the executive secretary for the governor, went blind at the age of 40, and completed 3 degrees at the U of U. She raised six children and also wrote the primary song, “Primary Children Sang as They Walked.” Another of my faves because of the catchy music. She was an incredible lady and spent her life teaching piano and loving children. I think she was a remarkable musician and worth honoring in this space. That doesn’t mean we need to sing a song from the sixties thoughtlessly, but we can choose to not sing it thoughtfully.
Good points all! I found the information about the woman who wrote the song to be quite compelling. I remember adapting the Pioneer children song to “Sister missionaries sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked and walked ou and walked! While on my mission in Mexico.
Thank you for that information on the writer. I think that fits well into the heading when we know better we do better. She wrote the song in the sixties as a product of her time, upbringing and environment with no doubt good intent. We can choose to stop featuring the song without erasing the author’s authors contributions and virtues as a person.
I sang this song in Primary in the 80s. Even then, although the catchy up-beat tune was a nice change from most songs, I felt weird singing it and doing the hand motions. It felt off. The reasons given to keep singing it – yikes. As someone else already said, the reasons seem very unChristlike and the opposite of creating a space where everyone is welcome.
If your discussion board needs another song to discuss, I would love to see the song “When I am Baptized” removed from Primary. The lyrics “I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away” basically teach original sin to the 3-7 year-olds who sing it. (Besides, whatever happened to baptism as a promise to follow Jesus?) The lyrics “I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again” reek of shame to me.
That is a really interesting insight. I had never considered that at all. Definitely something I’ll bring up with my cochorister. We’d planned to just ride on already knowing that one rather than teaching a new baptism song this year but maybe “Jesus came to John the Baptist “ would be a better approach.
Great comments about the racist language, but what about the sexist language? 1) “Long ago their fathers came…” No mothers? Yes, I know the lyrics are using “fathers” as a generic term for “ancestors,” but it’s insulting both here and in the actual scriptures to omit “mothers.” To keep the rhythm, “people” or “fam’lies” could be used instead. 2) “We must brothers be…” No sisters? “We must siblings be” doesn’t quite have the same catchiness. “We must fam’ly be?” “Kindred?”
It’s at least consistent with the Book of Mormon which almost entirely erases the existence and contribution of women. If the Nephites could have reproduced by parthenogenesis they probably would have, if their book is anything to go by.
Point well taken on the patriarchy
This song is another example of how culture and tradition can be so deeply embedded that members become blinded to things as they really are, and I’m not even referring to the American Indian issues at hand. If someone asked me what the Book of Mormon was, I would answer that it’s another Testament of Jesus Christ, a record that describes His dealings among people in the ancient Americas, that it contains doctrine and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ and can help us draw closer to Him as we read it. Reading and studying the Book of Mormon invites Christ’s spirit to abide with us and shows us how powerfully He can guide and protect us. THAT is the message that is sorely lacking in this song. Yes, the hero stories are great and important (could a couple verses be added about Sariah or Abish or the mothers of the stripling soldiers, for crying out loud??!), but unless the song clearly shows children that the focus of this book is Christ and His teachings and His miraculous atonement, then we are missing the mark and denying the power this book is meant to have. So in my opinion, the first two verses should be completely rewritten to reflect that important witness.
Well said! Thank u 4 sharing truth like that.
I am one who never realized the problem until, while I was primary president, one of my amazing teachers (who also took great care to teach her class about all the women in the scriptures) pointed out the difficulties with words, actions, and rhythm. We met with the chorister and although they fell along the “…I know people of ancestry who don’t mind…” line, we didn’t sing it again while I was in primary. I am grateful to that strong woman who helped me to see and be better. We can teach our children by example to notice and care for those around us, within the neighborhood and beyond, whether the majority or the minority.
I am Native American, actually Cree from Canada. I was adopted by a non-Indigenous or non-Native family. I cringed and died a little everytime this was sung. I felt a lot of internalized oppression from it and thought it was hugely racist. It also singled me out or at least that is what I felt when standing at the front of the church. I think it as problem! Please stop singing this appropriation song that forwards settler narratives!
I clearly remember the day when one of my closest church friends who is Native American explained to our entire primary how painful and offensive this song felt to them. I don’t believe it was a matter of being “woke” or liberal, but simply pointing out the the song felt mocking and disrespectful to their culture and identity. To disregard that sincere plea to stop singing this song in our primary will never leave me. I was primary pianist for several years after that day, and I did all I could to encourage the other leaders to remember what was asked of us. At times, my request was over-ruled, so I removed the drum beats and did my best to alter the tone of the song. At this point, I am no longer pianist and few people remember our friend who has since moved away. The song seems to have regained it’s popularity, and it makes me feel terribly guilty every time I hear the children sing it.