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Chief Midegah Ogichidaa of the Red Bear Pembina Chippewa Indians was recently featured in a YouTube video posted by Book of Mormon Heartland entitled "Question to the Church - Chief Midegah of the Ojibwe", wherein he testifies of the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and states that many of the traditions restored in the Church (and found even in the Church's temple ceremonies) have also been preserved in the Ojibwe culture and (sweat) lodges (including, as he claims, the same tokens and signs). He details how he (not alone, but with all of the elders who run the lodges in his tribe) recently presented their tribal origins and beliefs to the top rabbis of the Jewish Learning Institute, the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education, the Rabbinical Councils, and the Yeshiva from Jerusalem; and, after hearing the oral traditions of the Ojibwe, officials from each of these Jewish organizations, together with the Ojibwe elders, signed a joint proclamation stating that the Jewish and the Ojibwe are one and the same. This event was also detailed in a Jewish publication called Anash Magazine (Issue 03, Vayeitzei 5784). His question to the Church is why the Church has not made any formal declaration stating the same about such Anishinaabe peoples as the Ojibwe being descendants of the Lamanites as described in the Book of Mormon when such Jewish organizations are willing to acknowledge the Ojibwe as having come from the same origins as they did. It also looks like Book of Mormon Heartland is helping to sponsor a "Book of Mormon / Ojibwe Conference" in September. I found the whole thing interesting and thought that I would share it here.

This is a hypothetical situation: 1. You stayed at a hotel - had a great time - and noticed the nightstand drawer did not include a Gideon's Bible. 2. On checking out you thanked the staff for a great stay, great breakfast, great pool, etc. 3. You asked them if you could put some Bibles and Books of Mormon in the nightstands of each hotel room, like Marriott hotels do. 4. They say: You'll need to ask the manager. He/She's not here right now. You can call or email them. Here's their card. 5. You call and email, thank them for the great stay, etc. then ask if you can donate some scriptures to each hotel room. They say no or don't reply. 6. You reach out to Holiday Inn corporate HQ executives via LinkedIn, ask if you can take them to dinner, or just ask straight up: can I donate some scriptures to your hotels? (This would be something like an enterprise agreement that you alone, without authorization from Church HQ would be seeking/making.) 7. Holiday Inn exec's eventually agree. 8. What do you do now? a. talk to your Bishop b. talk to your stake president c. call Church HQ and ask for the Distribution dept d. buy the scriptures yourself = In all seriousness though, how would you approach an effort like this - meaning how would you get Church HQ to distribute free scriptures to all the Holiday Inns (between 1,200 and 2,297)?