Racism in The Book of Mormon

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Racism in The Book of Mormon? (45 min)

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaFDECJ-Pn4

  • "The Charge of Racism in The Book of Mormon" - by John Tvedtnes. A great review of the evidences within the pages of The Book of Mormon and how to understand them within the correct context and with correct understanding. All groups of men at one time or another have had various forms of racism enter their society. While this may have also been true in The Book of Mormon over it’s thousand year history, it is clear that the authors of the book were men of God trying to follow Christ’s teachings. There is a clear difference in their records between a mark of blackness helping to distinguish between population groups that at one time accompanied a curse from God, and a curse that included being excluded from God’s influence because of disobedience to his laws. The difference is strikingly apparent when at certain times those with the mark of blackness become the more righteous population and have no curse, enjoying the Spirit and guidance of God, while the lighter skinned Nephites clearly had the curse of God put upon them as they shunned God’s commandments. In the end, the mark of darkness or blackness, may have been as simple as the Lamanites intermarrying with pre-existing populations of darker skin against God’s directions. It will require further revelation to sort this puzzle out.