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THE TEACHINGS OF MORMONISM EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OF THE BIBLE AND HISTORY
(7) THE BOOK OF MORMON - THE "MOST CORRECT BOOK OF ALL THE BOOKS ON EARTH"?
"white and delightful" (1830) versus "pure and delightful" (1981)
The Mormon Church continues to revise the "most correct book of all the books on earth," supposedly translated "by the gift and power of God." Its most recent doctrinal correction occurred in 1981, when the "triple combination" was published.
Edition of 1830 and later
2 Nephi 30: 6 said (regarding the Lamanites)
"... and before many generations pass among them, they will become a delightful white people."
Edition from 1981 onwards
2 Nephi 30: 6 now says:
"... and before many generations pass between them, they will become a pure and delightful people."
Faced with evidence that, contrary to this Book of Mormon prophecy, the Lamanites [the aborigines of America, according to Mormons] who lived according to Mormon doctrines, did not shed their "dark colored" skin (2 Nephi 5:21) to a "white and delightful" skin (2 Nephi 30: 6), they saw the need to change the word "white" to the word "pure." Now they say that the change mentioned in 2 Nephi 30: 6 refers to a state of spiritual purity.
However, Brigham Young seemed to believe that this change referred - as expressed in the Book of Mormon - to a physical change in the color of the skin of the Lamanites when he taught that the Aborigines "would become white and delightful "(Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 143).
Even the late President Spencer W. Kimball had endorsed the teaching that the aborigines of America would become 'white' if they adhered to the doctrines of Mormonism, as he expressed it in the General Conference of the Church in October 1960. .
Although the passage is now said to refer not to an outward physical change, but to an inward change, the evidence itself from the Book of Mormon shows that what the writer had in mind was a physical change in skin color. Notice the following:
"And then [the Lamanites] will rejoice; for they will know that it is a blessing to them from the hand of God; and the scales of darkness will begin to fall from their eyes; and before many generations pass between them, they will become a people white and delightful "(2 Nephi 30: 6).
This passage is part of a prediction Nephi is said to have made, approximately 550 years before Christ, according to the Book of Mormon chronology (See 2 Nephi, ch. 30). Five hundred and sixty-five years later, it appears that Nephi's prophecy was fulfilled, as we read in 3 Nephi 2: 11-16:
"And it happened that in the thirteenth year there began to be wars [...], because the Gadianton robbers had become so numerous, and they killed so many of the people [...], that it was necessary [... ] that Nephites as well as Lamanites take up arms against them. Therefore, all the Lamanites who had turned to the Lord, joined their brothers, the Nephites [...]. And it happened that before this thirteenth year had ended, (the robbers) threatened the Nephites with complete destruction ... And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among them. And their curse was removed from them, and their skin turned white like that of the Nephites; and their young men and daughters became exceedingly beautiful, and were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites. And thus ended the thirteenth year."
The Book of Mormon narrative states that the "curse" caused "a dark skin to cover them" (See 2 Nephi 5:21). The reference just cited states that "their curse was removed, and their skin turned white like that of the Nephites." So, we have to understand that if the curse of a dark skin was removed, immediately their skin should turn white! And the Book of Mormon narrative shows that the change occurred within a year.
However, despite the efforts of Mormon leaders to now repudiate this flawed doctrine, it still remains in the 1993 edition of the "Triple Combination" (see 3 Nephi 2:15). It looks like the reviewers didn't do their homework right!
More support from Mormon sources demonstrates that they equate a Biblical "curse" with blackness of skin. The Mormon Apostle David W. Patten recounted an encounter with someone he identified as Cain, whose "skin was very dark". A Mormon poet later referred to this claim (in part) as follows: "And Cain was cursed, and he still wears his "mark", As David Patten saw it, he was black, When, pointing to his jet black face, Cain said, "You see, I still carry the curse" - link to page 6. Such an outrageous claim & belief is completely unscriptural.
more pages to come in this series
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