Most Latter-day Saints love the Native Americans, especially Joseph Smith and WW Phelps. You will hear the story of a connection between 2 Lamanites of today, Mike and Betty LaFontaine, with WW Phelps and a song that brought joy to all of their lives. On Thurs April 6th, 2023, the day of our Lord, Firm Foundation, at our Expo will celebrate the Lamanite and much of what they have contributed to our world. (See Below)
We will also celebrate a group of 85 amazing native American Chieftains who are now with the Savior in Paradise helping the word go forward. You will hear the story of todays Saints including, Rod Meldrum, Robert Goodwin, Delores Kahkonen, Wes and Ellen Clarke, and Mike and Betty Lafontaine, and Michael Bedard, whose love of the Lamanites has opened doors for these Natives to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and all of it’s blessings.
Lamanite Warriors of Today
In Diné (Navajo), the word for warrior is naabaahii.
“Navajo, a warrior means someone who can get through the snowstorm when no one else can. In Navajo, a warrior is the one that doesn’t get the flu when everyone else does—the only one walking around, making a fire for the sick, giving them medicine, feeding them food, making them strong to fight the flu. In Navajo, a warrior is the one who can use words so everyone knows they are part of the same family. In Navajo, a warrior says what is in the people’s hearts and talks about what the land means to them. Bring them together to fight for right. In Diné (Navajo), the word for warrior is naabaahii. The naabaahii were men and women who fought an enemy and/or an illness/disease. These individuals worked bravely and tirelessly to protect their families and communities. When in battle, they used their mind, body, and spirit. Unfortunately, most of their knowledge has been lost, but some stories remain to draw upon.
The naabaahii were men and women who fought to protect the people, the land, and way of life. They worked bravely and without reservation to sustain their families and communities. Their tools, ways, and knowledge helped them to survive and win battles. The lessons learned from the naabaahii and the twin warriors are needed. By reviewing Diné history and cultural knowledge especially the creation narratives and how warriors prepared and fought for the people is useful in developing and implementing strategies. The naabaahii used their mind, body, and spirit to fight and defeat their enemies and illnesses/diseases; their strategies and intelligence helped them to be successful.
Numerous young Diné are graduating from colleges and professional schools where their intelligence and contemporary knowledge is needed. Naayéé’ Neezghání and Tó Bájísh Chíní fought and defeated most of the monsters roaming the Earth in their time; their stories are fundamental to Diné peoples. The lessons of service, teamwork, using appropriate tools, setting goals, compassion, preparation, adaptability, discipline, belief, consistency, organization, and following a spiritual approach provide strategies to use and expand on. Decolonization and rebuilding the Navajo Nation is attainable and starts with the individual. He or she can look at past warriors who sacrificed, protected, and worked for Diné peoples. He or she can use tools such as the Fundamental Laws, the concept of hozh, communication, and a critical mind. Diné peoples are resilient and they have stories to rely on. Now is the time to get to work!” Decolonizing the Navajo Nation: The Lessons of the Naabaahii By Lloyd L. Lee, Ph.D. Native American Studies University of New Mexico October 27-‐30, 2011[Some grammar edited]
Red Ant, A Warrior
Navajo, Betty Red Ant LaFontaine said, “In about 2017 while I was researching the Joseph Smith papers website, I entered in the search bar for ‘Lamanites”, and to my great surprise the Lyrics to a special hymn came up. Joseph had asked Emma to put together a church hymnal so she and WW Phelps went to work. As I read the Lyrics written by WW Phelps a flood of emotions and the Spirit filled my soul! Here is a hymn written about our ancestors the Lamanites over 100 years old, I had never heard or seen this song before. My husband Mike and I were immediately touched by the words and Mike said, “Betty you have to sing it!” There was no music that I could find! As we are sitting down at the dinner table Mike said to me, “I’ve got it, I know what music you could sing it too.” I thought wow, here is my husband who does not know much about music, as he always says to me all the time, “I don’t play anything but the radio!” But inspiration kicked in, and Mike said, “the hymn you could sing it to is your favorite song!” I picked up the hymnal and my drum as I turned to page 284 of the LDS Hymn Book, and saw my favorite song, “If You Could Hie to Kolob.” The name of the Indian song written by WW Phelps is titled, “O Stop and tell me, Red Man”. Below is the letter WW Phelps wrote to Oliver Cowdery about the inspiration that WW Phelps found, while writing this beautiful song about the Lamanites. I have been singing this song with my drum for several years now.” Quote by Betty “Red Ant” LaFontaine
“To his steady drum roll about the Indian and his destiny, Phelps added his view of the land west of the Missouri settlements, which he called the “Far West.” Wasn’t this, the editor wondered, the land of the covenant, where the Book of Mormon Jaredites and Nephites had once roamed before meeting their destruction? While the world would never prize the area because of its want of timber and mill seats, Deity had a different view. This land was Zion, he argued, the land of Joseph, the receptacle of “the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills.” In a few sentences, Phelps wove together some of the images that Joseph Smith had been using when speaking of the western Zion and the soon-to-be redeemed Indian” Quoted in Seeking The “Remnant”: The Native American During The Joseph Smith Period by Ronald W Walker: Evening and the Morning Star 1 (October 1832): 137] Phelps was citing Deuteronomy 3313-17 The editor later would help select Mormon settlement sites in Daviess County and may have had a role in choosing the name of the region’s most prominent town, Far West, thus giving another expression to his fascination with the western region.
Liberty, Mo. Nov. 6, 1834. LETTER NO. II From WW Phelps
DEAR BROTHER:
“I am one, but the world has many, and the many so various and extensive that every mind and body may have its portion, and satisfaction, even of truth: wherefore I continue the sketches of the western wilds. And let me begin with that section of land which lies between the Missouri river, and the north western counties of this State. This fine tract of territory embraces land enough for two or three counties, and contrary to the observation which I wrote you last August about it, there will be a further effort for annexation to this State, as soon as matters can move.
The appearance of this tract, as far as I know, is much the same, of the other contiguous country, as described in my last: Extensive prairies, fringed with timber upon the streams. The streams have generally a small assortment of fish, such as large cat, carp, buffalo—shad, hickory—shad, gars, and a few other small pan fish. About three or four miles west of the boundary line, there is a beautiful creek of living water, pebble bottom, running northwardly and empties into the Little Plat.. It is called “Tod’s Creek,” and is sufficient for light mills. Passing some dry branches, in dry times, the Little Platt comes next, and a fine looking river it is, too, about eight or ten rods wide, with a grand fall for mills, of say six or seven feet, at the ford and ferry. Like other western waters, however, it sometimes rises very high, (fifty or sixty feet,) on short notice; and to use it for mill privileges and purposes, would require a stamina and capital equal to what brought the grand canal, by an aqueduct across the Genesee at Rochester, New York.
On the great garrison road, near five miles westerly of the Platt, is a precious rivulet, called “Clear Creek,” along which the Indians camp, in hunting seasons, by scores.—This route to the garrison, from the Platt west, is timber land, and has fine appearance: in fact, from what I can learn, some of this section looks as rich and fertile as Jackson. At the distance of sixty or eighty rods from Clear Creek, as you come down upon the Missouri bottom, is a Jordan—like, deep sluggish stream, bridged, named “Bee Creek,” from the great quantities of bees that have been found in its woods. The Missouri bottom from this creek to the garrison, about three miles, is covered with an unparalleled phalanx of rushes, four or five feet high, presenting one of the stiffest pastures I ever beheld. The cattle live and fatten upon these rushes, year in and year out, without any other fodder. One Mr. Martin, who has a permit from the garrison, has the benefit of all this spontaneous feed, together with a farm and ferry at the Platt, a farm and ferry at the Missouri, opposite the garrison, and a boarding house in the garrison, or cantonment, more properly, an account of which will be given hereafter. This permission with the facilities, without money or price, gives him a chance to amass a fortune with little trouble, little competition, and in a little time.
But to my subject. The last Congress, if I am not mistaken, extended the limits, jurisdiction and laws, of the territory of Michigan, to all “the district of country north of the State of Missouri, and west of the Mississippi,” so that the “far west,” or western world of territory, laid down on some of the maps, as the Missouri Territory, is now bounded, south by the Arkansas Territory; and Mexican States; west by the Rocky Mountains: north by the British line, as it shall be established according to the treaty of Ghent, cornering on the north—east, at the Lake of the Woods: and east by Michigan Territory, and the State of Missouri: comprising more land than did the old “Thirteen United States,” and may emphatically be called the heart of North America. It is about nine hundred miles long and eight hundred miles broad, containing, at estimates, four hundred and sixty millions, and eight hundred thousand acres, spread over thirteen degrees of north latitude, and embracing all the beauty and variety of season and climate, that may be found from the south line of Virginia, to the gulf of St. Lawrence! It is a great place, and every thing about it is GREAT. The Missouri, than which a large or more dreadful river, (with its muddy face always scowling,) is not on earth, rushes rapidly from near the 49th to about the 39th degree of north latitude, hurrying along with it, its numerous relatives, and tributaries, from the vast prairies, that lay spread out like an empire, and passes into the State of Missouri, as the President of rivers.
Notwithstanding, this great country may be ranked as a part of the realm of the United States, yet, the title to the land, is held by the Indians that hunt upon it; or, at least, the most of it, is theirs; and as the general government, has already commenced gathering and settling the various tribes upon the south eastern limits of this grand region, I shall be justified on that point, and because we have the word of the Lord, that these Indians are a remnant of the seed of Joseph, I certainly shall write truth, on another
point, when I call it THE LAND OF ISRAEL. Time will tell whether the United States will be so humane as to gather all the wandering tribes of the forest, and extinguish their title to such lands as they do not want. If the government should succeed in its philanthropic operation to ameliorate the condition of the Indians, and honorably purchase much of their land: if the Lord should permit timber to grow upon the prairies, like corn stalks upon the cultivated fields, so that towns and cities might speckle the west as they now do the east, still, when “Jacob takes root,” according to the prediction of Isaiah, “and blossoms and buds and fills the face of the world with fruit,” this country will then be The Land of Israel.
I should do injustice to the subject, were I to omit a notice of the Indians that inhabit the territory, of which I am writing. When I was at the garrison, I saw a noble looking, portly Indian, dressed and harnessed in fine style for hunting, and for the life of me, I could not help composing the following lines for The Red Man.” Continued below the the recorded music.
Below you will hear Betty playing the flute to the music below as you sing the words of “The Red Man”
Continued by WW Phelps,
“THE RED MAN”
O stop and tell me Red Man,
Who are ye? why you roam?
And how you get your living?
Have you no God;—no home?
With stature straight and portly,
And deck’d in native pride,
With feathers, paints and broaches,
He willingly replied:—
“I once was pleasant Ephraim,
“When Jacob for me pray’d;
“But oh! how blessings vanish,
“When man from God has stray’d!
“Before your nation knew us,
“Some thousand moons ago,
“Our fathers fell in darkness,
“And wander’d to and fro.
“And long they’ve liv’d by hunting,
“Instead of work and arts,
“And so our race has dwindled
“To idle Indian hearts.
Continue to Read the last 3 Amazing Verses of this Song
O Stop and Tell Me, Red Man” (Latter-Day Saint Hymns, Deseret Book, 1927)
6. “Yet hope within us lingers,
“As if the Spirit spoke:—
`He’ll come for your redemption,
`And break your Gentile yoke:
7. `And all your captive brothers,
`From every clime shall come,
`And quit their savage customs,
`To live with God at home.
8. “Then joy will fill our bosoms,
“And blessings crown our days,
“To live in pure religion,
“And sing our Maker’s praise.”
The Native Americans are from the House of Israel and the Book of Mormon was written for these blessed people. The Blossoming as the Rose for the Lamanites, [D&C 49:24] is upon us. These great Lamanites will be a great part of building the “New Jerusalem” in Missouri.
WW Phelps continues
“Now, to my story again. Besides the Delawares, Shawnees, Kickapoos, Wyandots, Pottowattomies, Senecas, Osages, Choctaws, Cherokees, Kaskaskias, Kansas, &c. &c. which our nation and the missionaries are domesticating as they are gathered, upon the southern limits of the land of Israel, the Pawnees, the Sioux, the Rickarees, the Mandans, the Nespersees, the Blackfeet, the Sacs, the Foxes, and many other tribes, rove and hunt from prairie to prairie, from river to river, from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, and live, and are blessed before the face of heaven daily as well as their contemporary whites; and, perhaps I may add, are as justifiable before God, as any people on the globe, called heathens. No church bell from its elevated steeple, rings “Go to meeting; it is Sunday,” while a dozen lesser ones, for stages and Steam boats, peal a ding dong “for parties of pleasure, as a holiday,” among these rude sons of the west.—And it is a difficult matter to make one soul of them believe the Great Spirit ever said, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” while they know, that the majority of the white nation, use it for a holiday. No politicians boast of freedom and equal rights, while thousands are imprisoned for debt, or are in bondage: No; when the tribes are at peace, the Indian is free; his land is free; his game is free; his time is free, and all is free.
But the glory of the whole matter is yet to be told; and that is, that the hour is near, when the Lord will gather his elect, even Israel; that the righteous may come flocking to the standard of God like doves to the windows. This is the glory of the children of the promise. This is the expectation of the faithful. This is they joy of the saints, that they may be gathered and live and reign a thousand years on earth with Christ. And who would not be full of hope, faith, and charity, at such a grand prospect. Or in other words, Is there an heir of the celestial kingdom, that would take this world as a mite towards the glory and blessings, after much tribulation, that he can receive in the one to come? No!
The generations generally, except the saints, as they have passed by, from the beginning, have had their measure, of glory, fame and power, because they have eagerly sought for it—but where are the mightiest of them? Numbered with the dead! The Nephites who once had the Lord personally among them, where are they? Numbered with the dead! And the present generation, with the knowledge of six thousand years in advance, after a little, where will all its chiefest be? Numbered with the dead! O grave! grave! how many mysteries thou hidest!—but the hour of revelation is nigh, and who is prepared to hear it? And the time to renew the earth is not far off, and who will then possess it? And the time is soon at hand, when the Lord can be seen, and who shall see him? Yea, who can enjoy all these sublime privileges? The pure in heart.
No wonder the Saints endured martyrdom! No wonder the Son of God suffered upon the cross, it was for the sake of eternal life in a world of perfection, where the order and the power, and the realm, are unchangeable, and the enjoyment unutterable, (in this world.) Away with crowns and kingdoms; away with grandeur and gold; away with fame and fassions [fashions]—all are vanity: seek first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness, and when the Lord comes, the riches of eternity will be given to the saints; and the curse will be taken off of the earth, and the land will yield its increase, and the whole world will become the garden of God and his people. The land of the north, the land of the east, the land of the south, and the land of the “West,” will be the land of Israel, the home of the blessed, and the seat of the beloved city: and though oceans shall roll back, and mountains sink down; though worlds may be created, and disappear, and ages come and go, yet, amidst my littleness, and nothingness, compared with the vastness of God’s works, I hope to enjoy an inheritance in that city.”
As ever, W. W. PHELPS.
To OLIVER COWDERY, Esq.
LETTER NO. II. From WW Phelps to Oliver Cowdery Liberty, Mo. Nov. 6, 1834
31st Book of Mormon Expo and Native American Art Celebration
Emma’s Hymnbook
Shortly after her baptism in July 1830, Emma Smith was called by God to compile a hymnbook to edify the Church. The Lord says in Doctrine and Covenants 25:12, “My soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads.”
A Collection of Sacred Hymns for the Church of the Latter Day Saints was published in 1835. These hymns had a great influence on the Saints during the early days of the Church. Some of them are still included in the current hymnbook that was published 150 years later in 1985.
In this first publication was hymn #63 titled, “O stop and tell me Red Man” on page 83. It remained in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Hymnbook’s until 1919.
If You Could Hie to Kolob
“The hymn “If You Could Hie to Kolob” was written by William W. Phelps and was first published in the Deseret News in 1856.
Originally, the hymn was placed in the Choir section of the 1940 hymnal of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it was too difficult to sing the original tune by Joseph Daynes. This was resolved in the 1985 hymnbook when the Church music committee chose an alternate hymn tune called Kingsfold.” Source
As you can see in the picture left, the words to “If you could hie to Kolob” are found in an 1871 Church Hymnal as well.
“O Stop and tell me, Red Man”
As I mentioned above a quote by WW Phelps inspired him to write the words of this song, “O stop and tell me Red Man”. I quote again, “When I was at the garrison, I saw a noble looking, portly Indian, dressed and harnessed in fine style for hunting, and for the life of me, I could not help composing the following lines for The Red Man.” Obviously Phelps was inspired by the strength and beauty of the Native Americans.
W. W. PHELPS. wrote the words to that song “O Stop and tell me, Red Man” as he wrote a letter to OLIVER COWDERY, Esq, which was part of the 8 Letters that Oliver Cowdery wrote to WW Phelps. WW Phelps answered with about 12 letters back to Oliver Cowdery and in LETTER NO. II. From WW Phelps to Oliver Cowdery from Liberty, Mo. written Nov. 6, 1834, The Red Man song was penned by WW Phelps while at a fort or garrison.
Mike and Betty LaFontaine have attempted to find that garrison and report the following:
“We found the Bee Creek along the trail by the Fort.
I found this info on the fort: Fort Leavenworth (39º21’N, 94º 44’W) in eastern Kansas was established in 1827 to guard the Santa Fe Trail and is the oldest of the forts on the Great Plains. In the 1870s Fort Leavenworth became the Headquarters of the Department of the Missouri which supervised military activity in the Southern Great Plains. As a headquarters post, the housing was among the best on the Plains. In the 1870s two officers’ quarters were built with indoor bathrooms instead of the outhouses that most quarters had. Streets were paved. Residents of the post also enjoyed a notable social life and two churches. Elizabeth Burt considered Fort Leavenworth the “land of civilization.” (Burt, 119) Fort Leavenworth was made the site of a military prison in 1875.
We came in to that area from the north east trying to follow WW Phelps Trail, I believe he was coming from Adam Ondi Ahman,
Looking for new settlements for the Saints. Bee Creek is north of Highway 92 which is on the Missouri side in which he talks about. Platte River is south of 92 which runs into Platte city. At the juncture of 92 and 45 there was a sign stating that this was part of the Lewis and Clark trail. I believe that WW Phelps talked about a Indian camp up on the banks of the Platte river.” Mike and Betty LaFontaine
This song was first published in Emma Smith’s first Hymnbook of 1835 on page 83 as Hymn number 63.
I was able to find the original music assigned to the song “O, stop and tell me Red Man” in the picture above. Source
Joseph’s Remnant- Lamanites in Today’s America
Join us at the 31st International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference. Register here; We will be selling a book called “Joseph’s Remnant: Lamanites in Today’s America”, for just $10. It is written by Allen C. Christensen who recently passed away and includes the faith promoting stories of the wonderful LDS Lamanites listed below:
Franklin Keel
Larry Echo Hawk
John Brown Jr.
Sam Little
John Bluesalt
Delores Kahkonen
Michalyn Steele
Samuel Taylor Blue
Christopher Brent Chaney
James A. Cooper
Betty “Red Ant” LaFontaine
Lucy Morris Gishi
Ollie & Aneta Talker Whaley
“While at the base of a large hill near Lyman Wight’s cabin, George W. Robinson recorded that they discovered “the remains of an old Nephitish Alter.” To commemorate the discovery, Joseph Smith called the place Tower Hill…
So what did Robinson mean when he said they discovered the remains of a “Nephtish” structure? It is important to note that the early Latter-day Saints clearly believed that the native North American tribes were descendants of the earlier Nephite-Lamanite civilization. With this belief, Robinson probably used the word “Nephitish” to indicate that the structure or altar was built by, or originated with, the North American Indians. He may have also used “Nephitish” to mean that the altar was of ancient origin. Therefore, what Robinson was attempting to describe were the remains of what appeared to be a sacred altar structure erected by early Native Americans.” (Alexander L. Baugh, “Joseph Smith in Northern Missouri,” in Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, ed. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and Kent P. Jackson (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 291–346.)
