Racism in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ read by millions of people looking for inspiration and truth. Thus, it can be difficult for some readers to encounter racism in the narrative. Read on to explore the ethnocentric rhetoric, skin tones and “cursings,” and anti-racism in the Book of Mormon.

Or, you can skip the Q&A and jump straight to "Our Take."

a painting from the 1978 Book of Mormon stories, or The book of Mormon Reader, Illustrated by Jerry Thompson and Robert T. Barrett, of a white Nephite man named Amulon standing next to an unnamed brown Lamanite king, showing racial elements of the Book of Mormon, based on Mosiah 24. — Art from the 1978 Book of Mormon Stories depicting Amulon with the Lamanite king.

Is the Book of Mormon racist?

Yes, in some ways. The Book of Mormon is an ancient account of competing ethnic clans over the course of about 1,000 years.[1] Sometimes those clans' records include racist rhetoric.[2] There are also more explicit verses in the Book of Mormon that say that God cursed Lamanites with "a skin of blackness."[3]

Are prophets in the Book of Mormon racist?

Yes, in that some of them expressed ethnocentric[4] beliefs against different tribes using racist language.[5] However, some of those same prophets also taught against racial prejudice.[6]

Is the gospel taught in the Book of Mormon racist?

No. The Book of Mormon does not promote or teach racism as a principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ and instead teaches the universal nature of God's love and Christ's atonement.[7] The Church condemns racism in any form and teaches that we are all God's children.[8]

Does the Book of Mormon teach that God cursed the Lamanites by changing the color of their skin?

Nephi taught that God "did cause a skin of blackness to come upon [the Lamanites]" to prevent intermarriage with the Nephites.[9] Both Jacob and Alma connected the dark skin with the curse.[10]

Scholars have offered various theories for a non-literal interpretation of these passages.[11]

Does the Church currently teach this?

No. In 2020, the "Come, Follow Me" study manual states "the curse of the Lamanites was that they were cut off from [the Lord’s] presence" and that a "mark of dark skin came upon the Lamanites after the Nephites separated from them. The nature and appearance of this mark are not fully understood."[12]

However, in the 2020 printed version manual, it stated that "the dark skin was the sign of the curse,"[13] but also that the "dark skin is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse."[14] The Church issued an apology and asked members to "disregard the paragraph in the printed manual."[15]

But did the Church teach this in the past?

Yes. For example, in 1957 Joseph Fielding Smith[BIO] taught that the "dark skin was placed upon the Lamanites so that they could be distinguished from the Nephites and to keep the two peoples from mixing. The dark skin was the sign of the curse."[16]

And in 1974 the Church published a pamphlet entitled "Lamanites and the Book of Mormon" which stated that the "Lamanites were marked by the Lord with a darker skin."[17]

Are the phrases "white and delightsome" and "skin of blackness" talking about skin color?

Possibly, depending on the context. For example, when Jacob chastised the Nephites about their mistreatment of the Lamanites, he said that they should "revile no more against [the Lamanites] because of the darkness of their skins,"[18] which seems to explicitly refer to skin pigment.

However, Nephi teaches that the "scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes" and after many generations "they shall be a white and a delightsome people" which was later edited to be "pure and delightsome" by Joseph Smith.[19] This seems to be symbolic rather than a reference to skin pigmentation.

Doesn't the Book of Mormon just use colors like "white" and "dark" and "blackness" as metaphorical symbols?

Yes, sometimes. For example, Nephi speaks of garments being "made white" in Christ's blood[20] and cites Isaiah about the Lord covering the heavens with "blackness."[21] Jesus repeats his sermon on the mount about "black" versus "white" hair,[22] and Mormon described Jesus's followers' "countenance" as "white," with "nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof."[23]

So could the references to skin color in the Book of Mormon just be metaphors, and not racial?

Possibly. Many scholars have argued that references to "white" and "black" skin are metaphorical, and that tribal prejudice was independent of skin color.[24][25] Joseph Smith may have relied on the common nineteenth-century definition of "blackness" which was used to describe corruption or wickedness.[26]

Weren't the terms "Nephite" and "Lamanite" often used as a political designation?

Yes. The terms "Nephite" and "Lamanite" was used as a political designation early in Book of Mormon history.[27] The text speaks of the "Lamanites" becoming "Nephites"[28] and vice-versa,[29] showing it was often a designation determined by political affiliation rather than lineage.[30]

Is there somewhere in the Book of Mormon that shows that Lamanites and Nephites had some kind of inherent difference in their appearance?

Yes, possibly (see below). In Alma 55, Moroni "caused that a search should be made among his men" to "find a man who was a descendant of Laman" to be sent to deceive the Lamanites into thinking they were also Lamanites.[31] This may imply that a "descendant of Laman" (a Lamanite) had physical characteristics, possibly skin pigmentation, that were distinguishable from Nephites.[32]

Table of possible racial references in the Book of Mormon

Reference	Text (emphasis added)	Explanation
1 Nephi 11:13[33]	And I beheld the city of Nazareth; and in the city of Nazareth I beheld a virgin, and she was exceeding fair and white.	Nephi makes a reference to the virgin Mary, whom he describes as "exceeding fair and white."
1 Nephi 13:15[34]	And I beheld that they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.	Nephi describes the Gentiles as "white" like his people, the Nephites.
2 Nephi 5:21-23[35]	. . .they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceeding fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people, therefore the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. . . And thus saith the Lord God, I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities. And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed: for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing.	Nephi indicates that God caused people to have "a skin of blackness" on them to prevent inter-tribal marriage.
2 Nephi 26:33[36]	And he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.	Nephi states that God considers everyone equal, including "black and white."
2 Nephi 30:6[37]	And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people.	Nephi uses the phrase "a white and a delightsome people" to describe what will happen when people begin follow God.
Jacob 3:5[38]	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.	Jacob correlates filthiness with the curse of the Lamanite skin color.
Jacob 3:8[39]	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.	Jacob uses the phrase "their skins will be whiter than yours" to indicate that unless the Nephites repent, the Lamanites will be "whiter" than them.
Alma 3:6[40]	And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.	Alma writes that the dark skin of the Lamanites was a mark and a curse because of transgression.
3 Nephi 2:15-16[41]	And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites; And their young men and their daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites.	Nephi explains that when the curse was removed from the Lamanites, their skin became white.
4 Nephi 10[42]	And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceeding fair and delightsome people	Nephi describes how the people of Nephi lived in harmony and "became an exceeding fair and delightsome people."
Mormon 5:15, 17[43]	For this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us. . . . They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.	Mormon writes about how the Lamanites used to be "a delightsome people" and will eventually "become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people."

Expand Table

Doesn't the Book of Mormon teach that all ethnicities are equal in the sight of God?

Yes. For example, Nephi wrote that "all are alike unto God" and "denieth none that come unto him, both black and white, bond and free"[44] (see below).

However, at the same time, multiple Book of Mormon editors and commentators, including Nephi, also made negative ethnic stereotypes about the Lamanite people.[45]

Table of texts in the Book of Mormon that teach against racism

Reference	Text (emphasis added)	Explanation
1 Nephi 17:35[46]	"Behold, the Lord esteemeth all flesh in one; he that is righteous is favored of God. But behold, this people had rejected every word of God, and they were ripe in iniquity;"	God views "all flesh in one"; one's status as "favored" is determined by righteous actions.
2 Nephi 26:33[47]	". . .he enviteth them all to come unto him & partake of his goodness & he denieth none that come unto him black & white bond & free male & feemale [sic] & he remembereth the heathen & all are alike unto God both Jew & Gentile. . ."	The Gospel is for everyone; skin color, social standing or religious differences are irrelevant as far as God's love is concerned.
Jacob 3:5, 9[48]	Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate, because of their filthiness and the cursings which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you. . .Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you. . .that ye revile no more against them, because of the darkness of their skins;	Jacob publicly chastised the Nephites for hating the Lamanites because of their skin color and for having racist attitudes.
Alma 26:37[49]	Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth.	God is mindful of all people, despite nationalities and no matter their place of origin.
Helaman 7:23-24[50]	. . .it shall be better for the Lamanites than for you except ye shall repent. For behold, [the Lamanites] are more righteous than you, for they have not sinned against that great knowledge which ye have received; therefore the Lord will be merciful unto them;	Righteousness is independent of tribal affiliation.
4 Nephi 1:17[51]	There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of-ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.	God's covenant people, when they are living righteously and in peace, are not divided socially but instead are "one," being "the children of Christ" and heirs of the Kingdom of God.

Expand Table

Did Church leaders believe the Book of Mormon taught intermarriage with Native American indigenous groups would make them more "white and delightsome"?

Yes, some did. In 1861, William W. Phelps recalled that Joseph Smith gave an 1831 revelation authorizing missionaries in Missouri to take Native American women as wives and that this would cause their "posterity [to] become white, delightsome, and just."[52] Some twentieth-century leaders also echoed this view.[53]

Related Question

Did the Church change the introduction to the Book of Mormon on Native American ancestry in response to DNA issues?

Related Question

Did Joseph Smith implement a policy to restrict Black members of the Church from the priesthood and temple ordinances?

Has the Book of Mormon affected the way Latter-day Saints see Indigenous Americans?

Yes, probably. Latter-day Saints see Indigenous Americans as descendants of Book of Mormon peoples and thus, as members of the House of Israel.[56] Since at least the mid-nineteenth century, they have considered themselves to be special supporters of Indigenous American peoples, including special missions to Indian reservations and Latin America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.[57][58]

Did Joseph Smith change the original words like "white and delightsome" to "pure and delightsome" in the Book of Mormon to be less racist?

Probably not. Although Joseph was relatively sympathetic towards Black Americans,[59] he still maintained racist views and it's unlikely that the edits made were to be less racist.[60] In the 1840 version of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith made the change in the verse now 2 Nephi 30:6.;[61] however, he left the term "white" that may refer to skin color, in six other places.[62]

Related Question

Was Joseph Smith racist?

Were the chapter headings in the Book of Mormon changed to be less racist?

Yes, probably. In 2010, the phrase "skin of blackness"[63] was removed from a heading as well as the phrase "a dark, filthy, and loathsome people" in the online version of the Book of Mormon.[64] While the text of these sections remains the same, the headers were changed to emphasize that the Lamanites were spiritually lost.[65]

Related Question

Was the modern (twentieth-century) Church racist?

Has the Church condemned racism?

Yes. The Church has stated, "Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form."[66] The Book of Mormon condemns racism as well[67] and states that "all are alike unto God."[68]

The Facts

The Book of Mormon records around 1,000 years of tribal conflict which include negative stereotyping of various tribes.
Some Book of Mormon prophets expressed racist sentiments towards other tribes.
Nephi, Alma, and Jacob refer to the "skin of blackness" of the Lamanites as a "curse."
Scholars have debated if the "skin of blackness" is literal or symbolic.
The Book of Mormon includes teachings that condemn racial prejudice.
In 2010, the Church removed racial references from the headings of 2 Nephi 5 and Mormon 5.

Our Take

The Book of Mormon is an indispensable part of a testimony of the restored gospel. But, is the Book of Mormon racist? Did its recording prophets discriminate against others based on ethnicity? Are some events in the record inherently racist, or suggest a God that is racist? These are serious questions, and represent an important faith issue that requires consideration.

The Book of Mormon text presents a complicated view of lineage and ethnic identity spanning about 1,000 years of history. During that history, tribal groups fought both physically and ideologically. Nephite prophets often characterize Lamanites in negative terms such as "lazy" and "bloodthirsty," and associated that people with a "mark," a "curse," and a "skin of blackness." In many places, it seems clear that these characterizations are negative ethnic stereotypes. In other places, it appears these characterizations are used with primarily symbolic or spiritual meaning.

However, elsewhere in the record, a prophet of God affirms "all are alike unto God" and "denieth none that come unto him, both black and white, bond and free."

The title page of the Book of Mormon tells us that if there are mistakes in the book, they are the mistakes of men. Truth comes from the Holy Ghost, which affirms the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ found in the book. Today, the Church denounces racism wherever it is found and preaches the universal love of the Savior Jesus Christ for all people.

What's Your Take?

Joyce F.
“I like your take. The Book of Mormon, just like the Bible, cannot be the infallible word of God because men are subject to their unconscious beliefs as they interpret scripture. Only our Heavenly Father is Perfect. We are called to be Perfect; but does that include being human?”
K.C.
“I don’t agree with the rather blunt “yes, in some ways” about the BoM being racist. Perhaps with certain readings or interpretations by our standards. But many of the beliefs of the BoM interpreted this way are merely interpretations and don’t align with the overall message.”

Read More Difficult Questions

184 Primary Sources

Footnotes

BIOJoseph Fielding Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith (1876-1972) was the tenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He became an apostle in the Quorum of the Twelve in 1910 and served in this capacity until he became a member of the First Presidency in 1965. He was the Church Historian and Recorder from 1921 until 1970. He became president of the Church following the death of David O. McKay in 1970.
[1]↩︎
The introduction to the Book of Mormon includes how the book is compiled of records from ancient prophets and peoples, all of whom were destroyed except for the Lamanites. The introduction states how the book documents the Jaredites, Nephites, and the Lamanites.
- BOM introduction identifies Lamenite relationship with indigenous Americans.
[2]↩︎
For example, Mormon described how the Lamanites will be scattered because of their unrighteousness and stated that they would "become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us." Elsewhere, Mormon said that some Nephites "mixed with the Lamanites" and became "wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites."
Nephi wrote that the cursing of the Lamanites led them to become "an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety."
Alma observed that the "skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren."
Enos described the Lamanites as having an "evil nature" and as a "wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, full of idolatry and filthiness."
[3]↩︎
For example, Nephi stated that God cursed Lamanites with "a skin of blackness" because they had hardened their hearts to God. Alma also observed that the "skins of the Lamanites were dark" as a result of their rebellion. Elsewhere, the curse is lifted from the Lamanites and their skin is described as becoming "white like unto the Nephites." Jacob preached to the Nephites to "revile no more against" the Lamanites "because of the darkness of their skins."
Scholars have debated whether this means a literal "skin of blackness" or something more metaphorical, citing parallels from antiquity.
[4]↩︎
"Ethnocentrism" is defined as a term anthropologists use to "describe the opinion that one’s own way of life is natural or correct. . . . [it] means that one may see his/her own culture as the correct way of living."
- Social Sciences Library provides definition of "ethnocentrism."
[5]↩︎
Nephi described the Lamanites, who "had a skin of blackness" "come upon them" as having become "an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey."
Enos described the Lamanites as:
A wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people; full of idolatry, and filthiness; feading upon beasts of prey, dwelling in tents, and wandering about in the wilderness, with a short skin girded about their loins, and their heads shaven; and their skill was in the bow, and the cimeter, and the axe.— And many of them did eat nothing save it was raw meat
In the Record of Zeniff, the Lamanites are described as being "a lazy and an idolatrous people" who a result, "were desirous to bring us into bondage, that they might glut themselves with the labors of our hands."
[6]↩︎
For example, the prophet Nephi explained that Lord said that "all are alike unto God" and He invites everyone "black and white, bond and free, male and female" to come to Him.
The prophet Jacob stated that God commanded the Nephites "that ye revile no more against them, because of the darkness of their skins."
- Nephi comments on how Lord invites "black and white" to partake of the gospel.
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[7]↩︎
For example, Jacob specifically commanded the Nephites to stop reviling against the Lamanites because of "the darkness of their skins."
In 2 Nephi 31:20, Nephi taught that it is required to love all men:
Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Elsewhere, he wrote that Christ invites
all to come unto him, and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen, and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
[8]↩︎
For example, in the 2013 essay, "Race and the Priesthood," the Church teaches that it
disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.
Continuing, the essay states that "God is 'no respecter of persons' and emphatically declares that anyone who is righteous—regardless of race—is favored of Him."
- In the Gospel Topics Essay, the Church denounces past theories and racism.
[9]↩︎
In 2 Nephi, Nephi expressed that God cursed the Lamanites with "a skin of blackness" and warned the Nephites to not marry them,
For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceeding fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people, therefore the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. . .And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed: for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing.
- Nephi explains Lamanite cursing.
[10]↩︎
In Jacob 3:5, Jacob taught:
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.
and in Alma 3:6, Alma taught:
And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression. . .
- Alma wrote that God put a curse on the Lamanites.
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[11]↩︎
Ancient studies scholars such as Hugh Nibley, John Tvedtnes and others have argued that "a skin of blackness" is not a reference to skin pigmentation. Explanations for the phrase have ranged from ancient metaphor to skin garments to Mayan skin paint.
[12]↩︎
When addressing the question, "What was the curse that came upon the Lamanites?," the online version of Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Book of Mormon 2020 teaches that:
In Nephi’s day the curse of the Lamanites was that they were “cut off from [the Lord’s] presence … because of their iniquity” (2 Nephi 5:20–21). This meant the Spirit of the Lord was withdrawn from their lives. When Lamanites later embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ, “the curse of God did no more follow them” (Alma 23:18).
The Book of Mormon also states that a mark of dark skin came upon the Lamanites after the Nephites separated from them. The nature and appearance of this mark are not fully understood. The mark initially distinguished the Lamanites from the Nephites. Later, as both the Nephites and Lamanites each went through periods of wickedness and righteousness, the mark became irrelevant as an indicator of the Lamanites’ standing before God.
- Online version of Come Follow Me Manual states that the "nature and appearance of this mark are not fully understood," referring to the Lamanite "mark of darn skin."
[13]↩︎
When addressing what the "curse" that came upon the Lamanites was, the 2020 print version of the manual reads:
“The dark skin was placed upon the Lamanites so that they could be distinguished from the Nephites and to keep the two peoples from mixing [see 2 Nephi 5:21-23; Alma 3:6-10]. The dark skin was the sign of the curse. The curse was the withdrawal of the Spirit of the Lord [see 2 Nephi 5:20]. . . . Dark skin . . . is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse”
- Come Follow Me (2020) print edition interprets the "curse" to be "dark skin."
[14]↩︎
The manual quotes from Joseph Fielding Smith in his 1957 book Answers to Gospel Questions. Smith addressed the present status of the Lamanites. Under the heading "Evil Brought Return of Dark Skin," he wrote that:
After the people again forgot the Lord and dissensions arose, some of them took upon themselves the name Lamanites and the dark skin returned. When the Lamanites fully repent and sincerely receive the gospel, the Lord has promised to remove the dark skin. . . . The dark skin of those who have come into the Church is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse. Many of these converts are delightsome and have the Spirit of the Lord. Perhaps there are some Lamanites today who are losing the dark pigment.
- Joseph Fielding Smith writes that the "dark skin" of the Lamanites was the "sign" of the curse, but it is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse today.
[15]↩︎
Elder Gary E. Stevenson, when addressing a NAACP luncheon on January 2020, taught that "One of our recent church manuals includes a paragraph with some outdated commentary about race" adding that
When it was brought to the attention of church leaders late last year, they directed that it be immediately removed in our annual online manual . . . We have also directed that any future printed manuals will reflect this change. . . . We're asking our members to disregard the paragraph in the printed manual . . . I'm deeply saddened and hurt by this error and for any pain that it may have caused our members and others.
The online version of the manual teaches that
Prophets affirm in our day that dark skin is not a sign of divine disfavor or cursing. The Church embraces Nephi’s teaching that the Lord “denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). President Russell M. Nelson declared: “The Lord has stressed His essential doctrine of equal opportunity for His children. … Differences in culture, language, gender, race, and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer”
- Elder Stevenson apologizes for Come Follow Me Manual (2020) teaching that "dark skin" was the curse; requests Church members to disregard that paragraph in the printed manual.
- Come Follow Me (2020) print edition interprets the "curse" to be "dark skin."
[16]↩︎
Joseph Fielding Smith, while noting that "The dark skin of those who have come into the Church is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse," and stated:
Many of these converts are delightsome and have the Spirit of the Lord. Perhaps there are some Lamanites today who are losing the dark pigment. Many of the members of the Church among the Catawba Indians of the South could readily pass as of the white race; also in other parts of the South.
- Joseph Fielding Smith writes that the "dark skin" of the Lamanites was the "sign" of the curse, but it is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse today.
[17]↩︎
When addressing the early history of the Lamanites and Nephites, the pamphlet, Lamanites and the Book of Mormon (1974) teaches that
Two groups formed and fought each other. One group called themselves Nephites and the other group was known as Lamanites. The Lamanites were marked by the Lord with a darker skin.
The Lamanites were wicked during some periods of history, while at other times they were obedient to God's commandments.
- Pamphlet published by Church in 1974 teaches that the Lamanites were "marked by the Lord with a darker skin."
[18]↩︎
In the Book of Jacob (1830 ed.), Jacob observed:
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate, because of their filthiness and the cursings which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; . . . 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? . . . 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. 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.
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[19]↩︎
Nephi in 2 Nephi 30 stated that the Lamanites would become "a white and delightsome people." In 1840, Joseph exchanged the phrase "white and delightsome" with "pure and delightsome."
- Joseph Smith changes "white and delightsome" to be "pure and delightsome" in the 1840 Book of Mormon.
- Joseph records Lamanites as someday becoming "white and delightsome."
[20]↩︎
In 1 Nephi, Nephi says of the Twelve Apostles:
[T]hese twelve ministers whom thou beholdest shall judge thy seed. And, behold, they are righteous forever; for because of their faith in the Lamb of God their garments are made white in his blood.
- Nephi sees the Twelve Old World apostles in a vision; their garments "are made white" in Christ's blood.
[21]↩︎
In 2 Nephi 7, Nephi quoted Isaiah:
I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
- Nephi, quoting Isaiah, speaks of God clothing "the heavens with blackness."
[22]↩︎
In 3 Nephi 12:36, repeating the Old World Sermon on the Mount, Christ taught the Nephites not to "swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair black or white."
- Jesus, in the Sermon at the Temple, speaks of "white" and "black" hair.
[23]↩︎
In 3 Nephi, Mormon describes a transcendent spiritual experience while praying with Jesus:
And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof.
- Mormon describes Jesus's followers in the New World as "white" with "nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof."
[24]↩︎
Brant Gardner has argued that this is the rhetoric of prejudice and was independent of skin color:
The association between skin and white/black is metaphoric, not intended to indicate pigmentation. . . . The “skin of blackness” was certainly intended to be a pejorative term, but it was not a physical description. Modern readers may be uncomfortable with Nephite racial prejudices, but they existed. They were not, however, based on skin color as has been part of the more modern U.S. culture. Nephite prejudices were developed on distinctions more common to the ancient world and used reasons other than pigmentation.
Art historian Gay Robins writes "white was associated with purity" in ancient Egypt and used in ritual dress and temple architecture.
People in the ancient world (including Israelites) often described enemies in "pejorative and dehumanizing terms."
Some scholars have argued that the color schemes do not reference skin pigmentation. Explanations have ranged from ancient metaphors to skin garments to Mayan skin paint.
[25]↩︎
Utah Valley University professor Ethan Sproat pointed to the temple context of Jacob's sermon, his priestly vocation, and his previous rhetoric about ridding his own garments of the people's sins to argue that "darkness of their skins" in this verse refers to a kind of ritual skin garment.
Others have argued that "dark" and "black" are used metaphorically as they were in other ancient texts. Another author has argued that it refers to "the ancient Maya tradition of darkening the skin with charcoal-based body paint and stains."
Kerry Hull has argued based on a contextual reading of the book and ancient Jewish and Christian examples that black and white "skins" are a metaphor in the Book of Mormon for a person's state of righteousness or wickedness before God.
[26]↩︎
For example, an 1844 poem by Eliza R. Snow referred to Missouri's "rottenness" and "corruption" as its "face . . . gather[ing] blackness."
An 1822 Bible commentary provided a number of ancient examples that used white and black faces metaphorically.
William McLellin recorded Joseph Smith calling the creeds of the "Methodist Dicipline" a "black deformity."
[27]↩︎
For exmple, Jacob, shortly after Nephi's death, used "Nephite" as a term for those who were friendly towards "the people of Nephi" and "Lamanite" for their enemies:
Now the people which were not Lamanites were Nephites; nevertheless, they were called Nephites, Jacobites, Josephites, Zoramites, Lamanites, Lemuelites, and Ishmaelites. But I, Jacob, shall not hereafter distinguish them by these names, but I shall call them Lamanites that seek to destroy the people of Nephi, and those who are friendly to Nephi I shall call Nephites, or the people of Nephi, according to the reigns of the kings.
And hundreds of years later, the same type of political designations were still in use:
There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of-ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.
- Jacob uses "Nephite" and "Lamanite" as political designators.
- Mormon reports that, after the ascension of Christ, there were no "Lamanites, nor any manner of-ites;" instead, people were all united.
[28]↩︎
Alma 3:11 states that Lamanites who rejected "the tradition of their fathers" and converted to the Gospel "were called the Nephites, or the people of Nephi, from that time forth."
And 3 Nephi 2:14 states:
And it came to pass that those Lamanites which had united with the Nephites, were numbered among the Nephites
- Mormon describes how the Lamanites became Nephites.
- Nephi wrote that when the curse was taken off of the Lamanites, they become "white like unto the Nephites."
[29]↩︎
In Alma 3:9-10, Mormon described how Nephites became Lamanites:
And it came to pass that whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites, did bring the same curse upon his seed; therefore whomsoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites, were called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him.
- Mormon describes how the Lamanites became Nephites.
[30]↩︎
An example of a lineage based association is in Alma 55:4-19, when Moroni found a Nephite who was a descendant of Laman (whose name was also Laman) and successfully pretended to be a Lamanite:
And now it came to pass that when Moroni had said these words, he caused that a search should be made among his men, that perhaps he might find a man who was a descendant of Laman among them. . .And when it was evening Laman went to the guards who were over the Nephites, and behold, they saw him coming and they hailed him; but he saith unto them: Fear not; behold, I am a Lamanite. . . Now when the Lamanites heard these words they received him with joy . . .
- Mormon abridges Alma where he describes how Moroni found a Nephite that was a descendant of Laman to pretend to be a Lamanite.
[31]↩︎
Moroni's plan was to send some of his Nephite men to the Lamanites to get the guards drunk. Moroni said he was looking for Nephites that were descended from Laman for this operation, implying that there was a physical difference (eg. skin pigmentation) between the Nephites and Lamanites at this time.
A similar tactic was used by conquistadors in the sixteenth century. Bernal Diaz reported that conquistadore Gonzalo de Sandoval sent spies to the city of Salvatierra:
He had sent two soldiers disguised as Indians to the camp of Narváez while he was not still camped on the beach. Because they were dark, they did not look like Spaniards, but like real Indians.
- Mormon abridges Alma where he describes how Moroni found a Nephite that was a descendant of Laman to pretend to be a Lamanite.
- Bernal Diaz offers account of Spanish spies doubling as Indigenous persons.
[32]↩︎
It's also possible that Laman had a different accent, or tattoos or some other differentiation that would have been noticed by the Lamanites, but was not necessarily related to the color of his skin.
[33]↩︎
In 1 Nephi 11:13, Nephi wrote about a virgin in Nazareth and described her as "exceeding fair and white."
- Nephi wrote that Mary was a virgin who was "fair and white."
[34]↩︎
When describing the Gentiles, Nephi wrote that "they were white . . . like unto my people before they were slain."
- Nephi looks at the Gentiles and recalls that "they were white . . . like unto my people."
[35]↩︎
In 2 Nephi 5, Nephi recorded that God cursed the Lamanites.
- Nephi explains Lamanite cursing.
[36]↩︎
Nephi expressed that God invites everyone to come unto Him in 2 Nephi 26:33.
- Nephi comments on how Lord invites "black and white" to partake of the gospel.
[37]↩︎
Nephi in 2 Nephi 30 stated that the Lamanites would become "a white and delightsome people." In 1840, Joseph exchanged the phrase "white and delightsome" with "pure and delightsome."
- Joseph Smith changes "white and delightsome" to be "pure and delightsome" in the 1840 Book of Mormon.
- Joseph records Lamanites as someday becoming "white and delightsome."
[38]↩︎
Jacob in Jacob 3 described how the Nephites were prejudiced against the Lamanites because of their skin color.
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[39]↩︎
In Jacob 3:8, Jacob indicated that unless the Nephites repented, the skin of the Lamanites "will be whiter than yours."
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[40]↩︎
Alma recorded in Alma 3 that the Lamanites had a curse put on them because of their transgressions.
- Alma wrote that God put a curse on the Lamanites.
[41]↩︎
Nephi in 3 Nephi 2 wrote that when the curse was removed from the Lamanites, "their skin became white like unto the Nephites."
- Nephi wrote that when the curse was taken off of the Lamanites, they become "white like unto the Nephites."
[42]↩︎
Nephi wrote in 4 Nephi that the people of Nephi became "exceeding fair and delightsome people."
- Nephi described that his people "became an exceeding fair and delightsome people."
[43]↩︎
In Mormon 5, Mormon comments on how the Lamanites will become scattered and "become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people."
- Mormon comments on how Lamanites will be scattered.
[44]↩︎
The full text of Nephi's promise states:
[H]e inviteth them all to come unto him, and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen, and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.
- Nephi comments on how Lord invites "black and white" to partake of the gospel.
[45]↩︎
Nephi believed that the Lamanites became "an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety." The text's editor, Mormon, also commented that the Lamanites would "become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us."
- Nephi explains Lamanite cursing.
- Mormon comments on how Lamanites will be scattered.
[46]↩︎
This text is from the 2013 edition of the Book of Mormon. In this section, Nephi is teaching his brothers that, if the Israelites were not righteous in their actions, God would have not favored them over the people in the land they conquered.
- Nephi teaches that God "esteemeth all flesh in one": one is favored by God if they are righteous.
[47]↩︎
This is the text from the Printer's Manuscript of the Book of Mormon. Here, Nephi is recording in the small plates various prophecies, admonitions, and teachings.
- Joseph translates Book of Mormon: "God denieth none, bond & free, black & white."
[48]↩︎
This text comes from the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon. Jacob does demonstrate a discriminatory attitude towards the Lamanites, but he still condemned such attitudes as sinful.
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[49]↩︎
This text comes from the 2013 edition of the Book of Mormon. Ammon discusses the scope of missionary work and how the Gospel is for all people, not a limited few.
- Ammon teaches that God is mindful of everyone, regardless of "whatsoever land they may be in."
[50]↩︎
This quote comes from the 2013 printing of the Book of Mormon. Nephi warns the Nephites that, due to their sinfulness, the Lamanites were more righteous than they were and that God would display mercy to the Lamanites but none to the Nephites unless they repented.
- Helaman 7 teaches that one's skin does not have any bearing on one's status as a sinful or righteous person.
[51]↩︎
This quote comes from the 2013 printing of the Book of Mormon. After the ascension of Jesus, the Nephites and the Lamanites all converted to the Church of Christ, resulting in the two tribes becoming united as a result of the Gospel.
- Mormon reports that, after the ascension of Christ, there were no "Lamanites, nor any manner of-ites;" instead, people were all united.
[52]↩︎
In 1861, William W. Phelps claimed to reproduce a revelation attributed to Joseph Smith in which the Lord said that:
It is my will, in time, ye should take unto you wives of the Lamanites and Nephites, that their posterity may become white, delightsome, and just; for even now their females are more virtuous than the Gentiles."
And in 1831, excommunicated Latter-day Saint Ezra T. Booth recalled of the missionary effort in Missouri:
[I]t has been made known by revelation, that it will be pleasing to the Lord, should they form a matrimonal alliance with the Natives; and by this means the Elders, who comply with the thing so pleasing to the Lord, and for which the Lord has promised to bless those who do it abundantly, gain a residence in the Indian territory, independent of the agent.
- W. W. Phelps includes text of alleged revelation from Joseph.
- Ezra Booth criticizes JS's support for alleged intermarriage with Native Americans.
[53]↩︎
In October 1960, Apostle Spencer W. Kimball joked about how righteousness was "lightening" the complexion of indigenous Americans.
In his 1958 book, Mormon Doctrine, under the entry of "American Indians," Bruce R. McConkie taught:
Since the days of the Spanish conquests and colonizations of Mexico and South America, there has been further dilution of the pure Lamanitish blood. But with it all, for the great majority of the descendants of the original inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere, the dominant blood lineage is that of Israel. The Indians are repeatedly called Lamanites in the revelations to the Prophet, and the promise is that in due course they "shall blossom as the rose" (D. & C. 49:24), that is, become again a white and delightsome people as were their ancestors a great many generations ago.
- Kimball makes a joke about using blood donations to make indigenous Americans more "white and delightsome."
- Bruce R. McConkie writes that the "American Indians" ("Lamanites") will, in the future, become "white and delightsome."
[54]↩︎
For example, Apostle LeGrand Richards observed during an interview in August 1978:
The Lord has never indicated that black skin came because of being less faithful. Now, the Indian; we know why he has changed, don't we? The Book of Mormon tells us that; and he has a dark skin, but he has promise there that through faithfulness, that they all again become a white and delightsome people.
In his 1958 Mormon Doctrine, Bruce R. McConkie limited the curse of the Book of Mormon to the Lamanites, not to people of African descent.
During the 1964 General Conference, Spencer W. Kimball taught:
There was the doctor in a Utah city who for two years had had an Indian boy in his home who stated that he was some shades lighter than the younger brother just coming into the program from the reservation. These young members of the Church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness
[55]↩︎
For example, in 1960, Institute teacher and prominent Latter-day Saint author, John J. Stewart reiterated this view, adding that such skin marks indicated premortal performance:
In scripture we read of quite a number of instances of God's placing a curse or mark upon a certain person or people because of their misconduct and disobedience to His laws. The curse usually involves not only that particular person or generation of people, but their posterity as well. One example is the Jews, cursed to become "a hiss and a byword"; another is the Lamanites, whose skin was turned dark, and that of their children after them. . . . Think of the millions of spirits born into the Lamanite race after the Lamanites had become a fallen people. How can you justify such an unfortunate circumstance of birth except on the basis of individual performance in premortal life?
In 1866, Brigham Young observed:
The Lamanites or Indians are just as much the children of our Father and God as we are. So also are the Africans. But we are also the children of adoption through obedience to the Gospel of his Son. Why are so many of the inhabitants of the earth cursed with a sin of blackness? It comes in consequence of their fathers rejecting the power of the Holy Priesthood, and the law of God. They will go down to death.
- Brigham explains priesthood ban doctrine.
- John J. Stewart uses Lamanites as a case study in curse-by-darkening.
[56]↩︎
According to the Introduction in the 2013 edition of the scriptures:
The Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains the fulness of the everlasting gospel. The book was written by many ancient prophets by the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Their words, written on gold plates, were quoted and abridged by a prophet-historian named Mormon. The record gives an account of two great civilizations. One came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. and afterward separated into two nations, known as the Nephites and the Lamanites. The other came much earlier when the Lord confounded the tongues at the Tower of Babel. This group is known as the Jaredites. After thousands of years, all were destroyed except the Lamanites, and they are among the ancestors of the American Indians.
- BOM introduction identifies Lamenite relationship with indigenous Americans.
[57]↩︎
For example, in May 1854, missionary David Lewis was observed "holding up a book of Mormon" and declaring:
This is a record of the Red Men and God's dealing with their forefathers, and that one day we should carry this book to the Indians. We are now living among them to carry this work to them. We must treat them like children to quit their savage ways.
And in October 1949, Apostle Spencer W. Kimball told a Relief Society gathering:
The Lord gave us to share an inheritance with the Indians in this glorious land which is choice above all other lands in all the world. But it is ours only on the condition, as I see it, that we do our part in seeing that these people come into the Church. What the Lamanite needs is opportunity. The only difference between us and the Indian is opportunity. Give them an opportunity, sisters, so that they, too, can enjoy the blessings that you do.
During the April 1976 General Conference, J. Thomas Fyans continued this theme of tying the missionary efforts directed towards, and growth in Church membership among, "Lamanites" to be a fulfillment of the Book of Mormon and modern-day prophecies.
[58]↩︎
In his April 2004 General Conference talk, Clate M. Mask Jr. spoke of many of the descendants of Lamanites reading the Book of Mormon and "choosing to follow Christ" and his love of "meeting the children of Lehi in spotless white in numerous templex in Mexico" where he was serving as Mission President.
Wendy Nelson (wife of President Russell M. Nelson, during an October 2018 address to missionaries serving in Paraguay, called the Paraguayan people the "children of Lehi and Sariah" and that the Book of Mormon couple whose children started the Nephite and Lamanite peoples of the record care about what the missionaries are doing every day in Paraguay.
- During a trip to Paraguay (October 2018), Wendy Nelson teaches that the Paraguayan people are the children of Lehi and Sariah.
- Clate W. Mask Jr. speaks of "Children of Lehi" in Central America embracing the Gospel, including Temple attendance.
[59]↩︎
Joseph Smith wrote in 1842 that American slavery made his "blood boil." Also in 1842, Joseph recommended that slaves be freed, educated, and given equal rights. His 1844 presidential platform called for the abolishment of slavery by 1850.
[60]↩︎
For example, Joseph Smith taught that Blacks were descendants of Cain, and also wrote that they should be "confine[d]...by strict Laws to their own Species."
- Joseph favors laws to prevent mixed race marriages.
- Willard Richards records in Joseph's journal that Joseph described Black people as "sons of Cain."
[61]↩︎
In 1827, Joseph Smith translated the text:
And then shall they rejoice: for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people.
However, in 1840, Joseph Smith recorded the text this way:
And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people.
The use of the term 'pure' here may mean 'original'. For example, in March 1832, Joseph Smith and fellow Church leaders engaged in a sustained study of what Joseph Smith considered to be the "pure," Adamic language.
[62]↩︎
The word "white" is used in 1 Nephi 11:13,1 Nephi 13:15, 2 Nephi 5:21, 2 Nephi 26:33, 3 Nephi 2:15, and Jacob 3:8. These instances may refer to skin color.
[63]↩︎
The heading of 2 Nephi 5 previously read:
Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cursed, receive a skin of blackness, and become a scourge unto the Nephites.
This heading was changed to read:
Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites are cut off from the presence of the Lord, are cursed, and become a scourge unto the Nephites.
- Peggy Fletcher Stack reports the Church heading changes in the Salt Lake Tribune.
[64]↩︎
The heading of Mormon 5 previously read:
The Lamanites shall be a dark, filthy, and loathsome people.
This heading was changed to read:
Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites will be scattered, and the Spirit will cease to strive with them.
- Peggy Fletcher Stack reports the Church heading changes in the Salt Lake Tribune.
[65]↩︎
Instead of emphasizing skin color, the heading change of 2 Nephi now included that God cut the Lamanites off from his presence.
The heading in Mormon 5 removed the reference to Lamanites being "dark" and instead emphasized that the Lamanites do not believe.
- Peggy Fletcher Stack reports the Church heading changes in the Salt Lake Tribune.
[66]↩︎
In December 2013, the Church released the Gospel Topics Essay on "Race and the Priesthood." In it they condemn past racist theories and all racism in any form.
- In the Gospel Topics Essay, the Church denounces past theories and racism.
[67]↩︎
Jacob in the Book of Mormon specifically commanded the Nephites to not revile against the Lamanites because of their skin color.
- Jacob tells Nephites to not revile against the Lamanties because of "the darkness of their skins."
[68]↩︎
Nephi stated that God invites all to come unto him and taught that "all are alike unto God."
- Nephi comments on how Lord invites "black and white" to partake of the gospel.