The important aspect of Columbus you weren't taught in school

Today is Columbus day. This year I had the opportunity at the Deseret News to produce a News in Education page about the man. In school they taught about how he "discovered America." But this statement is narrow and deceptive. As a child I didn't think much of this statement. As with pretty much all history, children place the importance of such things pretty low on their list of important things. I was no different. As a teen I began thinking of the import of Columbus coming to the Americas a bit more. Again, no truly in-depth thought or study of Columbus occurred until I took on this NIE page.

As a Latter-Day Saint, an additional element to the importance of Columbus coming to the New world is found in The Book of Mormon. According to revelation given to a prophet, 600 years before the birth of Christ, Columbus was moved upon by the spirit to make his journey. I quote the scripture here:

1 Nephi 13:12

12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

According to Firsthand accounts, as well as what can be drawn from his own writings, Columbus was an incredibly devout Christian. He believed unwaveringly that he had been moved upon by the spirit to seek out a new way to the West Indies. He sought tenaciously for support for an expedition because of being moved upon by the Spirit of God. I believe this. If you are interested in a more in-depth description of Columbus and his voyage please read this article published in the Ensign in 1992. The Author talks about the practical challenges, as well as the spiritual aspects of Columbus' voyages.

As for me I have a new-found respect for the man. He was by no means perfect. He lived in a barbaric time full of superstition and extreme antisemitism. He had to deal with Monarchs that held the keys to his even going on the voyage. Later in life he was branded a crazy man for believing that God had impressed upon him such a strong desire to go. Many in his day, and today discount the things he wrote about his spirituality.

Then there were the incredible physical challenges of the voyage. He used imperfect information and calculations seeking for the West Indies. Leaving the Waters of Europe would be like us leaving our solar system in the hope of finding a habitable planet that our telescopes and instruments say is there. Though he was misguided by the understanding of men, his sensitivity and willingness to give heed to the power of the Holy Spirit drove him to discover for Western Civilization a new world. This new world would open up a chapter of suffering and death for many. At the same time a new world of freedom and progress in science, technology and education would begin to unfold. All this would change our world in ways unimaginable by people of the time. All this because one man had the fortitude, tenacity, courage and strength of will to make a single voyage to the West happen. All because the Spirit of God moved upon Columbus.

I go on about the spiritual side of his voyage here because I cant in the NIE page. I mostly focused on secular facts on the page. This of course is appropriate. But everyone should know about the spiritual side of Christopher Columbus.

The process

Research, reading, and writing took up a large amount of time with this. I used Photoshop and Illustrator to develop the graphics. Credit should be given to a previous graphic designer, named Louanne, for the lower portion of the page. I altered things a bit to get them to fit, but the original elements were procured or created by her some years ago for another NIE on Columbus. InDesign was used to create the final layout.