Gentiles

From The Encyclopedia of Mormonism

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

[In the Bible, the Hebrew and Greek words translated into English as "Gentile" signified other peoples; i.e., "not Israelite" and later "not Jewish." For Latter-day Saints, "Gentile" generally means "not Latter-day Saint," although the meaning also extends to include "not Jewish" and "not Lamanite." These latter senses are rooted partly in scripture, where the distinction between Gentiles and Israelites or Jews is firmly maintained, and partly in the language adopted by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the LDS scriptural view, Gentiles play an important role in the restoration of the gospel in the latter days ( 1 Ne. 13:38-39; 22:6-11; 3 Ne. 21:1-6) and in the latter-day work of gathering Israel ( 1 Ne. 22:12; 3 Ne. 21:6, 22-29). For discussions related to this topic, see Abrahamic Covenant; Gentiles, Fulness of; Israel: Gathering of Israel; and Law of Adoption.]

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