T. J. O'Brien notes that in Mexico, feathered-serpent translates into "Quetzalcoatl," the name by which this highly revered god/man was known. The meaning behind that title is basic to comprehending the mission and place accorded the hero.
Quetzal: The Quetzal is one of the most beautiful birds living in the Western Hemisphere. Inhabiting the tops of trees in the highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico, it is seldom seen by humans and is difficult to maintain in captivity. Its iridescent emerald-green plumage, scarlet breast, and unusually long tail feathers are prized for their decorative qualities. In ancient times, the bird's feathers were worn only by royalty, and killing it was considered a crime. . . .
Symbolically to the ancient Mesoamericans, wings gave birds the same mobility as that possessed by the gods. Birds were considered sacred messengers from heaven. Among many tribes they were seldom killed, and their songs were carefully studied for important omens from the world above. . . .
Coatl: The Coatl is the ever-present and ever-threatening serpent, usually the rattlesnake. Mexico, the land of the Mexica, could also be called the land of the serpent. This ominous reptile is not only abundant in nature, it appears in every art form all over Mesoamerica: picture writing, ceramic decoration, painted murals, and carvings on temple walls. Large stone monuments were erected to this fearsome, but highly regarded creature, and religious ceremonies were seldom complete without it. . . .
Forever bound to the earth, and inhabitant of the underground, the serpent (coatl) is considered by many primitive cultures to be supernatural. Its enviable ability to shed an old skin for a healthy new one gave the serpent, in native minds, an association with new life and rejuvenation which also connect the serpent symbol with another symbol for life and regeneration, the sun.
As different as a soaring bird might seem from a coiled serpent, they do share certain characteristics: the long, flowing feathers of some birds can recall the similarly sinuous movements of a serpent. Both could resemble the winding path of water--another giver of life. . . . Both bird and serpent were believed to have supernatural powers--those of the bird came from above; those of the serpent resided in the mysterious underworld. Serpents and birds both lay eggs, which are a universal symbol of fertility and birth. Both serpents and birds were associated in the Indian mind with other elements of fertility and new growth: water, rain, and vegetation.
So what has all of this to do with a bearded visitor? [and also a Messiah who has been "lifted up" and who desires to draw "all men unto me"? -- 3 Nephi 27:15] In identifying with a feathered-serpent, the culture hero advantageously assumes all the amazing qualities attributed to both bird and serpent. The symbolic transformation of earthly scales into more lofty feathers allows the feathered-serpent of mythology to soar. Represented by this symbol, the bearded culture hero is also believed to ascend into heaven and, through a ritualistic process, generously offers his followers a similar privilege. In accepting Quetzalcoatl, the weary native hoped for a release from his limited, serpent-like, earthbound sphere, and expected to eventually become like serpent-bird and god, able to rise toward heaven.
The combined figure of serpent and bird together united the saving elements of earth and sky. What at first seemed hardly compatible now becomes a fitting metaphor and symbol for the Mexican hero/god. The chief mission of Quetzalcoatl, claims Sejourne, was to "lift his people out of their carnal element and make them divine." [T.J. O'Brien, Fair Gods and Feathered Serpents, pp. 52-54]