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.
Countercult ministries/The Interactive Bible/Difficult Questions for Mormons/Book of Mormon Races
Response to "Difficult Questions for Mormons: Book of Mormon Races"
| Book of Mormon Script | A FAIR Analysis of: Difficult Questions for Mormons A work by author: The Interactive Bible
|
Book of Mormon Witnesses |
- Response to claim: "If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons?"
- Response to claim: "Why aren't any of the Indian tribes racially or genetically the same as Hebrews?"
- Response to claim: "Why did Joseph Smith send missionaries to the "Lamanites" if the American Indians at the time weren't really "Lamanites"?"
Response to claim: "If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons?"
The author(s) of Difficult Questions for Mormons make(s) the following claim:
Response to claim: "If the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons? (2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision)."
FAIR's Response
Response to claim: "Why aren't any of the Indian tribes racially or genetically the same as Hebrews? American Indians are all of Mongoloid origin"
The author(s) of Difficult Questions for Mormons make(s) the following claim:
Response to claim: "Why aren't any of the Indian tribes racially or genetically the same as Hebrews? American Indians are all of Mongoloid origin."
FAIR's Response
Response to claim: "Why did Joseph Smith send missionaries to the "Lamanites" if the American Indians at the time weren't really "Lamanites"?"
The author(s) of Difficult Questions for Mormons make(s) the following claim:
Response to claim: "Why did Joseph Smith send missionaries to the "Lamanites" if the American Indians at the time weren't really "Lamanites"? (D&C 10:48, 28:8, 54:8, etc.) He certainly considered the Indians to be Lamanites (even if the current leaders of the church no longer believe them to be so). ' The Book of Mormon is a record of the forefathers of our western tribes of Indians. By it we learn that our western tribes of Indians are descendants from that Joseph who was sold into Egypt, and that the land of America is a promised land unto them.' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 17). 'He told me of a sacred record which was written on plates of gold, I saw in the vision the place where they were deposited, he said the Indians were the literal descendants of Abraham.' (Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, Diary 1835-1836, pg. 76). (Note - this was one of Smith's 'founding visions'. Apparently, Moroni was not aware that there were other, non-Semitic natives in America either)."
FAIR's Response
Notes