God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

[Jason]

Not that dark skin is inherently ugly or evil, but it was not enticing to the Nephites for whatever cultural reason and so the Lord used this to His advantage in helping the Nephites remain apart from them and avoid many problems of the spirit that are not "skin deep."

Quoted for truth.

[thesometimesaint]

CV75:

Yet we have several examples from the BoM that have the Nephites and Lamanites indistinguishable to each other.

[CV75]

CV75:

Yet we have several examples from the BoM that have the Nephites and Lamanites indistinguishable to each other.

"Yet?"

Hence the limited time, place and scope of the curse, and its relevance to preserving the Nephites as a righteous branch conditionally as they observed or ignored the Lord's instructions.

[Lamanite]

...I say there is nothing wrong with letting the text read just as it appears to read.

I let them read some of the posts. Most didn't make sense.

Here is what they understood after having read the relevant scriptures. And I have to admit that I agree with the following two points.

1. Dark skin was given to the bad people. White skin was for the good people.

2. They kind of felt "weird" that they had "darkish" skin. They didn't really know how to interpret this stuff. Their only real frame of reference for this type of stuff is modern day racism.

Here is where we got after discussing it.

1. Regardless of what took place then, God loves you unconditionally (no references to Nelson please) and couldn't care less what your skin color is.

2. Marrying within your religion is ideal. (my wife injected this little gem. lol)

3. The Atonement was infinite and eternal, without regard to race or gender. The resurrection has no racial boundaries. There are no color lines.

The atonement ended up taking the bulk of our time. It was a very spiritual discussion.

Afterward they seemed comfortable with things. Perhaps in a couple of years they will be more capable of a critical analysis of the text. But as it stands they know that their skin color is beautiful and that God loves them more than they will ever know.

Big UP!

Lamanite

[Senator]

I let them read some of the posts. Most didn't make sense.

Here is what they understood after having read the relevant scriptures. And I have to admit that I agree with the following two points.

1. Dark skin was given to the bad people. White skin was for the good people.

2. They kind of felt "weird" that they had "darkish" skin. They didn't really know how to interpret this stuff. Their only real frame of reference for this type of stuff is modern day racism.

Here is where we got after discussing it.

1. Regardless of what took place then, God loves you unconditionally (no references to Nelson please) and couldn't care less what your skin color is.

2. Marrying within your religion is ideal. (my wife injected this little gem. lol)

3. The Atonement was infinite and eternal, without regard to race or gender. The resurrection has no racial boundaries. There are no color lines.

The atonement ended up taking the bulk of our time. It was a very spiritual discussion.

Afterward they seemed comfortable with things. Perhaps in a couple of years they will be more capable of a critical analysis of the text. But as it stands they know that their skin color is beautiful and that God loves them more than they will ever know.

Big UP!

Lamanite

Perfect!

AND:

The braided hair of your one daughter is incredible. She and the braider have a great deal of patience!

[Uncertain]

Hi All,

Count me in as one of those who believe the BOM does reference at least at some point a very literal skin color difference. Now I am open to the idea white and black are relative terms. For example maybe Nephites were brown skinned and Laminates slightly darker colored and this was referred to as "white" and "black" however there are simply to many passages of scripture in the BOM that don't make any sense without a literal skin color difference being reference. For example take Jacob chapter 3 clearly skin color is being metaphorically used in this chapter but just as clearly it is also being used very literally.

Here are the relevant verses.

Jacob 3:3-9

3 But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day before God; for except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing, shall scourge you even unto destruction.

4 And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will lead away the righteous out from among you.

5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.

6 And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people.

7 Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?

8 O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God.

9 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.

(bold added by me)

At least as I read this passage the Nephites "hate" the Lamanites in part because of the "curse" that has come upon their skin. Jacob is condemning this practice and to make his point he uses skin color metaphorically as a sign of wickedness as a play on words regarding the literally darker skin of the Lamanites. I mean in verse 9 Jacob again references the darker Lamanite skin color right after he just gets done telling the Nephites the Lamanites are more righteous than them. If he was using skin color as a metaphor for wickedness he just undercut one of his main points. I mean he just got done describing how the Lamanites are more righteous than the Nephites but then turns around and claims they have "darker" skin i.e.( are more wicked). If dark skin is a metaphor for wickedness how in the world does this make any sense? Reading all skin color references in Jacob 3 as metaphorical requires Jacob in one breath extol the superior righteousness of the Lamanites (Jacob 3:5) and in the next breath contradict himself and claim they are less righteous than the Nephites (i.e. have darker skin Jacob 3:9). Unless of course the metaphorical meaning of skin color changes in mid verse without warning.Reading every reference to dark skin as purely metaphorical in Jacob 3 makes the chapter nonsensical it makes Jacobs argument pointless and contradictory.

But whether the BOM references to skin color is metaphorical or literal (it's literal ) the BOM clearly teaches every race can equally participate in Gods grace this is what I would emphasize.

(edited for clarity)

All the Best,

Uncertain

[Lamanite]

Perfect!

AND:

The braided hair of your one daughter is incredible. She and the braider have a great deal of patience!

My two oldest usually get braids done about twice a year. My wife and two sisters do it. Takes about 6hrs.

Big UP!

Lamanite

This is turning into a shameless display of Fatherly pride. lol

Anyone else feel free to put in awesome pictures of your kids. No matter what color their skin is! I don't think the mods read posts after the first page anyway.