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What did God have to do with Columbus? What did Columbus have to do with God?

To both questions it might readily be replied: A very great deal.

Columbus had much to do with god. He was a man of deep and abiding faith. He believed in the reality of the Almighty and was convinced that the Lord guides the destinies of the world. In his own case, he believed God guided him in his voyage of discovery.

But could that be? Did God really have that much to do with Columbus?

In this day of disrespect for both God and country, when some attempt to undercut even the foundations of civilized procedures, it is most important that we remind ourselves of the facts regarding God and Columbus. They have a great deal to do with the rest of us.

Columbus sailed under the Spanish flag. He came from Italy. Research hints that he was of Jewish descent. His voyage to America was of worldwide importance, and opened a new day for all mankind.

The significance of that voyage is as yet hardly understood by most people. Did God really guide Columbus? Was he an instrument in the hands of Providence to discover a new world and open a new era?

Again the answer is affirmative.

Columbus was an instrument of God. The discovery of the new world was an act of Heaven. The colonization of America was influenced from above. The establishment of freedom in this hemisphere was preliminary to the restoration of the Gospel and the Second Coming of Christ. Columbus was the harbinger of both these divinely planned events.

Columbus told King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella that he was inspired to make his voyage of discovery. He told this to the clergy of that day also. When the journey was over, his own son wrote in a biography of the great voyager that the Holy Ghost truly inspired him. Columbus repeated that declaration in his own last will and testament.

Was he alone in thinking this? Did he imagine it? Is there any scriptural reference to sustain his claim? Was Columbus actually inspired? Was there divine purpose in his voyage?

In glorious vision, the first Nephi saw the discovery of America, and was shown by the Lord that the Holy Spirit came down and "wrought" upon a man among the Gentiles in a land which was separated from America "by many waters."

The thirteenth chapter of First Nephi clearly portrays the voyage, and plainly states that the man who make it did so under the direction of the Holy Ghost.

Columbus was inspired! He was an instrument in the hands of Deity.

But why? What was the purpose of it?

There had been a great falling away from the Gospel as taught by Christ. The Lord predicted through His prophets that the truth would be restored again in latter days. It would come by the ministry of angels, and a new prophet would be raised up to receive them.

But where could the restoration take place? In Europe? There was no religious freedom there nor anywhere else in the world. All was under the domination of dictators and absolute monarchs.

In each country religion was prescribed by the state. Departure from the established church was called heresy and heretics were burned at the stake.

A new, free and pure religion-the Gospel of Christ-could not possibly be restored in the known world as it was then, because even the churches were under the strict domination of tyrants.

So to fulfill the prophecies, what could God do? He could only provide His own free country in which to accomplish His work. And how did He accomplish it?

He had hidden America from the knowledge of most men. No successful migrations were made to this land for many centuries. When the time came, He made it known to other lands by means of Columbus' discovery.

Then He brought colonists here-out of captivity as the scripture says-and established them as a free people.

Jesus foretold it too. As He spoke to the Nephites after His resurrection (3 Ne 21:4) He explained that this free nation would be set up by act of the Father for the specific purpose of spreading the true Gospel abroad.

It could not be preached unless it was first restored. It could not be restored without a free government to permit it. The free nation could not be set up anywhere but in a new country. And Columbus discovered it.

It was all in the plan of God. Columbus truly was an emissary of the Holy Ghost.

[Church News, October 10, 1970, p. 16.]