Topical Guide/Book of Mormon/Lamanites

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Book of Mormon: Lamanites

Topics

• Curse—Critics claim that the Church believed that Lamanites who accepted the Gospel would become light-skinned. "Mormon folklore" claims that Native Americans and Polynesians carry a curse based upon "misdeeds on the part of their ancestors." (Link)
  • Red skin curse—One critic states that the Lamanites were "cursed" with a "red skin." (Link)
• Referenced in the Doctrine and Covenants—Since in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to American Indians in North America as "Lamanites" (e.g., DC 28:8-9,14, DC 30:6, DC 32:2, DC 54:8), does this cause problems for the Limited Geography Theory (LGT) or issues of Amerindian genetic data? (Link)
• Relationship to Amerindians—Are all Amerindians descendants of Lehi? Critics claim that Church leaders "seem reluctant or powerless to curtail" the belief among Mesoamerican and South American saints that they are descendents of the Lamanites. Critics say that Joseph Smith said that the angel Moroni told him that all American Indians were "literal descendants of Abraham," but that DNA has disproved this. (Link)
  • Statements—A collection of various statements from Church leaders about Amerindian origins/identity (Link)
• Relationship to Polynesians—Critics claim that the Church has expanded the definition of "Lamanite" to Polynesians. Modern day prophets have repeatedly declared that Polynesians are Lamanites. The patriarchal blessings of Polynesians often state that they are of the tribe of Manasseh (through Lehi). (Link)
  • Statements—A collection of various statements from Church leaders about Polynesian origins/identity (Link)