Item Detail
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25290
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0
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0
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English
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A Tale of Two Prophets
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One Nation, Under Gods : A New American History
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New York, NY
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Little, Brown and Company
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281-304
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This chapter outlines the stories of two 19th-century prophets from New York. One prophet, named Handsome Lake, arose from the Iroquois Confederacy soon after Quaker missionaries started introducing their beliefs to his people. This man received visions which offered a syncretic view the trials his people faced, mixing traditional and foreign belief. These visions and teachings caused a religious revival among his people. The other prophet, named Joseph Smith, arose from the Protestant movement's Second Great Awakening. Smith received records and revelations and that explained the origins and ultimate destiny of the Native American people. The author considers the influence that Handsome Lake could have had on Joseph Smith and provides an alternate interpretation from Mormon folklore.