Hagoth

According to the Book of Mormon, Hagoth was a Nephite explorer. He is said to have built ships and sailed into the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. He and his followers are mentioned in four verses in Alma 63:5-8:

5 And it came to pass that Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward.
6 And behold, there were many of the Nephites who did enter therein and did sail forth with much provisions, and also many women and children; and they took their course northward. And thus ended the thirty and seventh year.
7 And in the thirty and eighth year, this man built other ships. And the first ship did also return, and many more people did enter into it; and they also took much provisions, and set out again to the land northward.
8 And it came to pass that they were never heard of more. And we suppose that they were drowned in the depths of the sea. And it came to pass that one other ship also did sail forth; and whither she did go we know not.

Mormon leaders [R. Lanier Britsch stated in the New Era, "Since the days of George Q. Cannon in Hawaii (1851–54), the Church leaders had more and more frequently alluded to the idea that the Polynesians were descendants of Lehi, the early Book Of Mormon prophet. Although the relationship between the Polynesian peoples and the adventurer Hagoth (see Alma 63:5–8) is not clear—he being a Nephite and the Polynesians appearing to be Lamanites—Church leaders have time and time again referred to the Polynesians as children of Lehi." - R. Lanier Britsch, "Maori Traditions and the Mormon Church", "New Era", June 1981] and scholarsFact|date=February 2008 have long speculated that the peoples of the Pacific Islands, including Hawaii, Polynesia, and New Zealand, are descendants of Hagoth and his followersFact|date=February 2008, who as Nephites were descendants of Jewish people in Palestine. Many rank and file members of the LDS church in Polynesia also believe that Hagoth is their ancestor [For one Mormon artists portrayal of Polynesian people as the "Children of Hagoth", originally published in the Liahona (magazine) see [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=33ba2eb2162eb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1] ] [Hagoth considered a "hero" by Polynesian Mormon youth, as published in the Liahona (magazine) - Kathleen C. Perrin, “Tahitian Pearls,”: [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=9f4b2e4d12fdb010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1] ] . Non-Mormon scholars largely dismiss this hypothesisFact|date=February 2008, citing geneticFact|date=February 2008, archaeologicalFact|date=February 2008, and anthropologicalFact|date=February 2008 evidence which indicates that Polynesian peoples come from the Malay Archipelago. But that aside, it is certain that even if the Polynesian peoples were largely descended from Malaysian roots, this would not preclude the possibility of some incidental admixture from other cultures and peoples. One problem with considering Polynesia to be at least partly peopled by "Nephite" descendants is that the Book of Mormon itself does not insist upon the point, and there is likewise no official doctrine in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints covering it.

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