sensate

I have a Morman acquaintance who claims that the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl was actually an incarnation of Jesus in the Americas. This seems like an outrageous claim to me, but I was wondering if anyone here knows why they make this claim in the first place. Wouldn't this diety predate the timeline of Jesus(historical or otherwise) anyway. Any input from someone with Aztec and/or Morman myth would be appreciated.

GunnerJ

I've read a bit about the early history of the Mexica (Aztecs), and the myths of their journey from their semi-mythical homeland of "Aztlan," from which they derive their name, to the Valley of Mexico. The myth very closely parallels the OT account of the Jews wandering in the desert for forty years to find the promissed land. Of course, it was translated by monks, who doubtless had their own slant on things, and may have "selectively" translated the myths.

Quezalcoatl was not the principal god of the Aztec people until they actually began calling themselves the Aztecs, i.e., when they gained control of the Valley of Mexico from the remnants of the Toltec Empire. Before that, they were known as the Mexica, and their god was Huitzlpoctli (probably incorrectly spelt), the Humming Bird of the South. Quezalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent, was the god of learning and scientific knowledge, who was said to have taught the first humans how to make tools and use basic mathematics. Jesus spread very little of the scientific/medical knowledge he should have had access to, despite its potential usefulness. Of course, there is some parallel between Jesus and Quezalcoatl, in that a "second coming" of Quez. was predicted. However, the due date for his reurn has past, strangely, it seems, near the same time when Cortez arrives. That's as far as I know it goes. There are, to my knowledge, no mtyhs of Quez. dying and rising form the dead.

I doubt that, if the Mormons knew more about Aztec religion, they would want to line Jesus up with Quez. The Aztec gods demanded many, many human sacrifices, and Quez. was no exception.

never been there

I grew up across the street from a JW Kingdom Hall, so when my Dad found out the clean-cut young men weren't JWs but Mormons we was so pleased he invited them back with their slide show. They at least had the sense not to presume they were going to convert you on the spot.

Well, the part about Joseph Smith and the tablets was saved for the end. The first hour was straight out of Erich von Daniken. Lots of big ancient stone buildings and paintings of pre-Columbian astronauts, and especially pyramids (what, did Jesus ask them to build something that reminded him of the bittersweet years of exile in Egypt?).