LDS Pamphlets; “The tradition of a White God in ancient America was preserved through generations of Indians from Chile to Alaska, and has been significantly persistent likewise among the Polynesians from Hawaii to New Zealand…This being, known as Quetzalcoatl in parts of Mexico…WHAT did he look like, this Great White God?…He was frequently described as a tall white man, bearded and with blue eyes. He wore loose, flowing robes. He came from the heavens and went back to the heavens…”
Articles of Faith, pg 262; “The Mexicans recognize a Deity in Quetzalcoatl, the traditional account of whose life and death is closely akin to our history of the Christ, so that, says President John Taylor, “we can come to no other conclusion than that Quetzalcoatl and Christ are the same being.”” – James Talmage
Deuteronomy 13:1-3; “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, 2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
This is an awkward story in the annals of Mormonism.
For many years the Church has taught that Quetzalcoatl was in fact proof the BoM is true. They claim that inhabitants of Mexico and down to South America saw Jesus when he appeared to the people and locals called him Quetzalcoatl.
You’ll see how the problem with this theory is timing because Jesus supposedly visited the BoM people circa 33 AD and the history of when Mexicans and South Americans began worshiping this god doesn’t lend itself to fit in with the time Jesus supposedly shows up in the BoM.
Finally there’s the history books filled with stories of the Spaniards who didn’t tell the whole truth either and this is where many of the LDS leaders retrieve their information from. Let’s go over the facts and see what we can learn!
1. Quetzalcoatl is a pagan god of nature and time also known as the “feathered serpent”. His depiction is found amongst many of the ruins in Mayan and Aztecan cultures portraying his grotesque features, one of which shows a human sacrifice hanging from his mouth (see image on left).
Aztec & Mayan Temples
The truth is that Qtzalcoatl was always depicted as a man or beast with very dark skin and sometimes wearing a mask which he’d blow smoke from to look mysterious. At other times he was drawn with features of human sacrifices hanging from an over-sized mouth and/or his body made from a conglomeration of several animals. As in many cultures around the world their gods were revered as creators and someone who controlled the elements of the earth and even controlled time.
2. The Quetzalcoatl story doesn’t fit the timeline of when Jesus supposedly appeared to the Nephites in the BoM.
Quetzalcoatl was worshiped between the 3rd & 8th centuries yet Cortez didn’t arrive there until the 16th century so his reports of the great white god sounds like a story about himself. And if Quetzalcoatl was worshiped during that era then it’s much too late for him to be Jesus.
3. Accounts from diaries of the explorers don’t match up with historical events in Mayan/Aztecan cultures and remember, this is where the Church gleaned their info from!
According to records of Spanish explorers the locals told them of a 
great white god that appeared and then mysteriously left. When reading their accounts you’ll want to take notice the Spaniards drew pictures of this so-called white god as he looked remarkably similar to the person/people telling the story.
You can read a pretty good story about this on the website Disillusioned Mormon. They show the disparities between the Spanish records, Mormon claims and truth. (FYI – I use their site as an information portal on this subject matter only and do not endorse everything on their site.)
The Spanish records sound a lot like the explorers wanted to ensure the investments of future travels so actual events in history have been mixed with a little Ancient Mayan and/or Aztecan folklore and the insertion of the Christian God Jesus. Unfortunately even the Encyclopedia Britannica has fallen for some of the same ruse in describing him.
“Quetzalcoatl was an important god to the peoples of ancient Mexico. His name means “Feathered Serpent,” and he often was pictured as a snake with feathers. He sometimes appeared as a pale man with a beard. That image is one of the reasons that the Aztec people thought that the Spanish soldiers-light-skinned, bearded men-who arrived in Mexico in 1519 were representatives of the god.”
The rumors of this white god aren’t found outside of Mormon folklore or the Spanish explorer’s diaries like Cortez and subsequent scholars from the 17th to early 20th centuries who had virtually no information other than writings of the explorers. Since that time a clearer picture about this pantheon god has emerged.
Why are Mormons chasing after so many gods? Why would they lay claim to these types of cultures if they’re Christians? The cultures are interesting because they teach you about other people, but the Christian should abhor the religious implications of these gods!
When your eyes aren’t firmly fixed on the Lord even fairytale winds can carry you away! Ephesians 4:14.
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