Question for Don Bradley

[Shulem]

It is easy—even natural—for modern readers of the Book of Mormon to intuitively see contemporary sensibilities regarding race and skin color in passages about a “skin of blackness” or “dark skins,” but such interpretations are misplaced when reading an ancient text.

Actually, it's easier to see how 19th century Mormons classed dark skinned people as less fortunate than fair-skinned people as taught in the Book of Mormon because skin color is exactly what's implied in the text. We may safely disregard the deceptive and twisted apologetics offered by SCRIPTURE CENTRAL. Human skin color was the physical difference between a naked Lamanite and a naked Nephite. Here is an example to that effect:

VIEWS Of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States:

Born in a land of liberty, and breathing an air uncorrupted with the sirocco of barbarous climes, I ever feel a double anxiety for the happiness of all men, both in time and in eternity.

<snip>

but at the same time, some two or three millions of people are held as slaves for life, because the spirit in them is covered with a darker skin than ours...

<snip>

The wisdom, which ought to characterize the freest, wisest, and most noble nation of the nineteenth century, should, like the sun in his meridian splendor, warm every object beneath its rays: and the main efforts of her officers, who are nothing more or less than the servants of the people, ought to be directed to ameliorate the condition of all: black or white, bond or free; for the best of books says, “God hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth.”

Our common country presents to all men the same advantages; the same facilities; the same prospects; the same honors; and the same rewards: and without hypocrisy, the Constitution when it says, “We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America,” meant just what it said, without reference to color or condition: ad infinitum.

[Moksha]

VIEWS Of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States:

Born in a land of liberty, and breathing an air uncorrupted with the sirocco of barbarous climes, I ever feel a double anxiety for the happiness of all men, both in time and in eternity.

<snip>

but at the same time, some two or three millions of people are held as slaves for life, because the spirit in them is covered with a darker skin than ours...

<snip>

The wisdom, which ought to characterize the freest, wisest, and most noble nation of the nineteenth century, should, like the sun in his meridian splendor, warm every object beneath its rays: and the main efforts of her officers, who are nothing more or less than the servants of the people, ought to be directed to ameliorate the condition of all: black or white, bond or free; for the best of books says, “God hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth.”

Our common country presents to all men the same advantages; the same facilities; the same prospects; the same honors; and the same rewards: and without hypocrisy, the Constitution when it says, “We, the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America,” meant just what it said, without reference to color or condition: ad infinitum.

How could a simple country bumpkin with the education of an acorn have written these words? I am thinking some Godly residue from the seer stone inked them without the prophet's awareness or consent. Did anyone heft these words or glance at them with spiritual eyes before printing them?!!!

[Rivendale]

How could a simple country bumpkin with the education of an acorn have written these words? I am thinking some Godly residue from the seer stone inked them without the prophet's awareness or consent. Did anyone heft these words or glance at them with spiritual eyes before printing them?!!!

Brian Hales consistently claims the word choice was completely out of reach for Joseph's vocabulary reservoir. Dan Vogel made an astute counter claim in which he said that allegedly god uses words we understand to communicate his message. If Brian is correct Joseph would be spouting gibberish from his perspective. Month after month of incomprehensible gibberish would probably require some stone throwing to calm the nerves.

[Shulem]

Recall earlier how Book of Mormon studies of professor Milton R. Hunter of the First Council of the Seventy were quoted in The Improvement Era and further clarified in his book: Archaeology and the Book of Mormon.

Elder Hunter sealed the testimony of his understanding by bearing witness in a contracted discourse of Book of Mormon history in General Conference:

Both the Book of Mormon and the Works of Ixtlilxochitl claim that two other groups of colonists migrated from the Old World to America. The first of these groups came from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. They split into two groups, called Nephites and Lamanites. The latter group became dark or bronze colored, such as the American Indians. The third group, the Mulekites, left Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and later merged with the Nephites.

The Book of Mormon speaks of the Nephites as "a white and delightsome people." (2 Ne. 5:21.)

<snip>

I bear my testimony, as a result of reading the Book of Mormon, that the Holy Ghost has born witness to me that it is true. I testify that it contains the word of God, that it is a true history of the ancient Americans, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The evil spirited apologists at SCRIPTURE CENTRAL who dance around this issue and claim Lamanite skin color was animal pelts are twisted people who will stop at nothing to support their agenda.

[Shulem]

The last edition of the Book of Mormon supervised by Joseph Smith was the third edition published in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1840. The work of the third edition began with Ebenezer Robinson, who used a copy of the second edition with revisions marked in pencil by Joseph Smith. One important change in the third edition corrected the language describing Nephites as a “white and delightsome people” to a “pure and delightsome people.” Because some future editions of the Book of Mormon based their text on the second edition of 1837, uncorrected verbiage persisted until the 1981 edition reverted the text to Joseph Smith’s 1840 correction.

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.

Let's be fair, shall we? In the case and context of 2 Nephi 30:6, I don't criticize or blame Smith for changing "white" to "pure" because I think he was making a correction that better reflects his original intentions in describing his view of the state of a soul as opposed to bodily skin color which is mentioned elsewhere throughout the text. The terminology "white and a delightsome" or "pure and a delightsome" is not so much related to skin color but to brightness and purity, for example:

• Alma 5:24; whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white
• D&C 20:6; garments were pure and white above all other whiteness
• 1835 First Vision Account; an angel appeared before me, his hands and feet were naked pure and white

[Shulem]

Elder Ashton of the Presiding Bishopric, in a manner of speaking, slipped up by admitting that Latter-day Saints who consisted almost entirely of white people in 1941 were better than dark people. White supremacy was not just a notion that Mormons sometimes entertained but was an ideology and a governing principle of which the Church strictly maintained to include banning blacks from the priesthood and denying temple blessings to the African race.

Here, see for yourself and see if you can catch his racism:

These Hawaiian people — I have had some thrilling moments in my life. I often think back on those things in my life that have been thrilling moments. I want to say very frankly and clearly here that never have I been thrilled more than in the contact with those people. Sometimes we get a notion that all the virtues belong to the white race. We will change our minds some day.

Speaking of the Hawaiian Mission under Brother Cox and the Japanese Mission under Jay Jensen, those men are doing a wonderful piece of work. As I have said, I have had a lot of thrills, but I' have never been thrilled more than two weeks ago today, at the Fast Meeting of those Japanese people. Boys and girls from fifteen up, two at a time, crowded to the front to bear their testimonies. Those people are wonderful people. Those Chinese people, the Japanese, the Hawaiians, and what not, some of those dark-skinned people have the best blood flowing through their veins of any people that the Lord ever created. Some time we will find it out.

At the pulpit, elder Ashton told the entire Church that Latter-day Saints might like to think all the virtues belong to them because they are of the white race. This is white supremacy! Then he generously allows for the idea that someday, in the future, Latter-day Saints will realize that *some* dark-skinned people are just as good as white-skinned people. But this understanding will only occur when the saints change their minds and come to find that darkies are really just as good as white people.