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Criticism of Mormonism/Online documents/"Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories/Racism and the Book of Mormon
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Contents
- 1 Response to questions about racism in the Book of Mormon
- 1.1 Quick Navigation
- 1.2 "the Book of Mormon....claims that God cursed the Native Americans with dark skin"
- 1.3 The author's unresolved question "(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."
- 1.4 The Lamanite curse
Response to questions about racism in the Book of Mormon
| Brigham Young and the priesthood ban | A work by author: John Dehlin
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"the Book of Mormon....claims that God cursed the Native Americans with dark skin"
The author's unresolved question
"(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."
Response to the author's claim
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.
The Lamanite curse
Jump to details:
- The presence of race and skin color in the Book of Mormon
- Question: What was the Lamanite curse?
- Question: What is the difference between the "curse" and the "mark" of the Lamanites?
- Question: Did some Church leaders believe that the skin of the Lamanites would turn white?
- Question: Does the Book of Mormon scripture "he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female" (2 Nephi 26:33) refer to race?
- Question: Why were the chapter headings in the Book of Mormon modified to remove "skin of blackness"?
- Question: Does the Book of Mormon describe the Lamanites as being "cursed" with a "red skin"?