From: kbest@doc.novell.com (Karl Best)
Subject: Re: Qeutzcoatl
Organization: Novell, Inc.
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 16:47:50 GMT

In article <1992Aug20.050928.2548@midway.uchicago.edu> gc14@ellis.uchicago.edu  
(Grace Putao Chang) writes:
> Hi there!  I just started reading this newsgroup and would like to ask for  
some information.  I was recently speaking with a friend of mine who is Mormon  
(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
> and she said something about Quetzcoatl (forgive my spelling, pleeease!!!)
> being some kind of incarnation of Jesus.  I forget the details, and I was  
wondering
> if anyone here could shed some light on it.
> All that I really know about Quetzy is that he/she was a major diety who 
> manifested in the form of a winged snake (the name is a combination of two
>  Mayan? words meaning "feather" and "serpent", I think)  
> I also seem to remember reading somewhere that Quetz left, but promised to 
> return someday (Bible-parallel?) and there was some kind of rebirth (Another
> Bible parallel?)
> Any info that you could give to me would be appreciated.  And any  
recommendations
> on where would be a good place to look for info would also be gratefully
> accepted.
> Thanks in advance!!!!!
> 
> gc14@ellis.uchicago.edu

The legend of Q. (I can't spell it either) is Mexican/Incan/Mayan/or something,  
and describes a white, bearded man who came among the people long ago, was  
worshipped by them as a god, and promised to return one day. 

This legend was one of the reasons for the easy exploitation of the native  
people by the Spanish when they came in the 1500 and 1600's; the people were  
looking for a white, beraded god, and the Spaniards fit the bill. 

Now, how does this relate to Mormonism? The _Book of Mormon_ describes, among  
other things, the coming of Jesus Christ to MesoAmerica after His ressurection  
(remember His "other sheep, not of this fold" in John?). He stayed for a few  
days, taught the people, was worshipped by them, and promised to return some  
day.

Now of course we Mormons, being the gullible sort and desparate for anything we  
can find to "prove" the Book of Mormon, have latched on to the legend of Q. as  
proof that Christ visited the people in question, and hence that the Book of  
Mormon is true. The legend of Q. is propounded mostly by the same people in the  
Mormon church who try to stretch any sort of archeological artifact in the  
MesoAmerican region into proof of the Book of Mormon, regardless of any support  
from true science. Example: the remains of a city is found by archeologists on  
top of a hill near a river. The Book of Mormon mentions a city on top of a hill  
near a river. Hence the Book of Mormon is true. 

BTW I am a faithful and active Mormon, and believe in the doctrines of the  
church, but despise such attempts by church members to "prove" what cannot and  
should not be proven in such a manner.

-Karl

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karl Best                              Far away, across the field
Novell Tech Pubs           ...  __o    the tolling of the iron bell
Provo, Utah  801-429-3428 ..   -\<,    draws the faithful to their knees
kbest@doc.novell.com      ...(_)/(_).  to hear the softly spoken magic spell
karl_best@npd.novell.com                  -Roger Waters, Pink Floyd
Newsgroups: alt.mythology