
FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of the doctrine, practice, and history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): I began to feel deeply troubled by the racist narrative of the Book of Mormon, which to this day claims that God cursed the Native Americans with dark skin, as a result of their wickedness. | |claim=(25 June 2014 revision): I began to feel deeply troubled by the racist narrative of the Book of Mormon, which to this day claims that God cursed the Native Americans with dark skin, as a result of their wickedness. | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
− | |answer= | + | |answer=The author has not read the Book of Mormon closely. The "curse" was the lack of gospel blessings due to disobedience, though they were promised eventual salvation. The issue of color was intended for the Nephites' protection from cultural apostasy—though repentance and conversion removed any stigma from intermarriage or association, since it was sin and not skin that mattered. |
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+ | The author ignores that the Nephites were also told very early that to "revile" the wicked "because of the darkness of their skins" was a sin, which God forbade ({{s||Jacob|3|9}}). | ||
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+ | It is anachronistic and inaccurate to view these ideas in "racial" terms familiar to nineteenth and twentieth century Americans. The author is projecting his own views onto the text, not representing it fairly on its own terms. | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{:Book of Mormon/Lamanites/Curse/What was it}} | {{:Book of Mormon/Lamanites/Curse/What was it}} |
Brigham Young and the priesthood ban | A work by author: John Dehlin
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"(25 June 2014 revision): I began to feel deeply troubled by the racist narrative of the Book of Mormon, which to this day claims that God cursed the Native Americans with dark skin, as a result of their wickedness."
The author has not read the Book of Mormon closely. The "curse" was the lack of gospel blessings due to disobedience, though they were promised eventual salvation. The issue of color was intended for the Nephites' protection from cultural apostasy—though repentance and conversion removed any stigma from intermarriage or association, since it was sin and not skin that mattered.
The author ignores that the Nephites were also told very early that to "revile" the wicked "because of the darkness of their skins" was a sin, which God forbade (Jacob 3꞉9).
It is anachronistic and inaccurate to view these ideas in "racial" terms familiar to nineteenth and twentieth century Americans. The author is projecting his own views onto the text, not representing it fairly on its own terms.
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