1
Ne 13:12 Who is this man among the Gentiles?
¡°During
seven long years Columbus importuned King Ferdinand for a hearing. But he was
generally regarded as a visionary. Even the children in the streets knew him as
one mentally unsound. When, at last, the learned council condescended to make a
report, it was to the effect that the plan was too foolish to merit attention.
¡®It is absurd," they said, "to believe that there are people on the
other side of the world, walking with their heels upward, and their heads
hanging down. And then, how can a ship get there? The torrid zone through which
they must pass, is a region of fire, where the very waves boil. And even if a
ship could perchance get around there safely, how could it ever get back? Can a
ship sail uphill?¡¯
¡°With
such arguments the wise men of Spain were about to drive Columbus out of the
country. In fact, he decided to go to France. But, fortunately, the queen,
Isabella, had as much to say in such matters as her royal consort. And she
listened to friends of Columbus. She was even willing to raise money on her
jewels to defray the expenses of a voyage. But this was not required of her.
Luis de Santangel, who held the keys to the treasury of Aragon, looked after
the finances. The agreement between the regents and Columbus was signed on
April 17, 1492. Columbus shed tears of joy. He had reached the goal, after
eighteen long years of labor, disappointments and heartache.
¡°Columbus
is described as a man of commanding presence, tall and powerful, fair, ruddy
complexion, and blue-grey eyes. By the time he sailed for the new world, his
hair had turned white. His bearing was courteous and his conversation was
captivating. Notwithstanding all discouragement, he never lost faith in his
divine calling and mission.
¡°It
was on August 3, 1492, that Columbus with three vessels-the Santa Maria, the
Pinta, and the Niña, with 90 souls on board-set out from Palos, Spain. It was
on October 12, the same year that Columbus with a retinue of officers and men
set foot on the beach of an island which he named San Salvador.¡± (Reynolds and
Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 1, p. 119)