Curse versus Skin of Blackness

Several references, with the pieces highlighted that I feel are most directly applicable to the conversation I took part in recently at Book Group, followed by my personal commentary at the end.  It's a lot, but I didn't want to take anything unduly out of context.  Hope this helps bring things together. Happy studying!

Jacob had some choice words for Nephites who thought they were better than the Lamanites based on the fact that they had not been curse initially and had white skin:

The Book of Jacob the Brother of Nephi

Chapter 3

About 544–421 B.C.

 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 ^acursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not ^bfilthy like unto you, nevertheless they are ^ccursed 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 ^alead 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 ^aforgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were ^bone wife, and ^cconcubines they should have none, and there should not be ^dwhoredoms 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 ^amerciful unto them; and one day they shall ^bbecome a blessed people.

 7 Behold, their ^ahusbands ^blove their ^cwives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their ^dunbelief 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 ^awhiter 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 ^arevile 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.

 10 Wherefore, ye shall remember your ^achildren, how that ye have grieved their hearts because of the ^bexample that ye have set before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.

Pretty clear how we shouldn't talk to our children about people of other races!

 

2 Nephi 5:20–25. The Lamanites Were Cursed

Verses 20–25 in 2 Nephi 5 answer at least four questions about the curse that came to the Lamanites:

1. What was the curse?

The curse is clearly defined in verse 20 as being “cut off from the presence of the Lord.”

2. What caused the curse?

According to verse 21, the cause of the curse came “because of their iniquity” and “hardened … hearts.” Since the days of Adam’s Fall, wickedness has resulted in being cut off from the presence of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 2:21; 2 Nephi 4:4; 9:6; Alma 9:13; Ether 10:11).

3. What was the mark or sign set upon the Lamanites?

It is also explained in verse 21 that so “they might not be enticing unto my people [the Nephites] the Lord did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them [the Lamanites].” It would appear that this was done to limit the spreading of more wickedness. Later Alma suggested this same motive when he explained that “the skins of the Lamanites were dark … that thereby the Lord God might preserve his people, that they might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions” (Alma 3:6, 8). Throughout scripture we find warnings of the Lord not to marry unbelievers (see Deuteronomy 7:2–3; 2 Corinthians 6:14); the result of doing so was often that the righteous were turned away from the Lord (see Deuteronomy 7:4; 1 Kings 11:4; D&C 74:5).

Some people have mistakenly thought that the dark skin placed upon the Lamanites was the curse. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained that the dark skin was not the curse:

“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 [not the curse itself]. The curse was the withdrawal of the Spirit of the Lord. …

“The dark skin of those who have come into the Church is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse. … These converts are delightsome and have the Spirit of the Lord” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 3:122–23).

4. What was the result of the curse?

Finally in verse 24 we learn that the result of the curse—being cut off from the presence of the Lord—is that they “become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety.”

One great blessing is that the curse is only valid as long as people are wicked. If they repent, the “curse of God [will] no more follow them” (Alma 23:18). There are many examples of righteous Lamanites who repented and enjoyed the Spirit of the Lord; one of them even became a prophet (see Helaman 13:5).\

https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-8-2-nephi-4-8?lang=eng&query=skin+blackness

Alma 3:5. The Amlicites Changed Their Appearance to Follow the Lamanites

The Amlicites changed their appearance to look like the Lamanites. Many Latter-day Saints today feel pressured to follow the dress trends of the world. Extremes in clothing and appearance serve to distinguish the disobedient from the disciples of Jesus Christ. Those who follow these worldly trends “disobey the prophet and, instead, follow the fads of the world” (see “Questions and Answers,” New Era, Mar. 2006, 14; For the Strength of Youth, 14–16).

Elder M. Russell Ballard taught young men who hold the priesthood that worldly trends in dress and appearance will chase away the Spirit of the Lord:

“There is an entire subculture that celebrates contemporary gangs and their criminal conduct with music, clothing styles, language, attitudes, and behaviors. Many of you have watched as trendy friends have embraced the style as something that was ‘fashionable’ and ‘cool,’ only to be dragged into the subculture. …

“… I do not believe that you can stand for truth and right while wearing anything that is unbecoming one who holds the priesthood of God” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 51–53; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 38–39).

Alma 3:6–15. The Mark and the Curse

There is a difference between the mark and the curse. The mark placed upon the Lamanites was a dark skin (see Alma 3:6). The curse was not the dark skin but being “cut off from the presence of the Lord” (2 Nephi 5:20). Notice that in both Alma 3:7 and Alma 3:14 the conjunction and is used between the curse and the mark. This implies that they are not the same thing. The people brought the curse upon themselves: “And even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation” (Alma 3:19). Through righteousness the curse may be removed, but the mark may remain as it has with the Lamanites (see commentary for 2 Nephi 5:20–25 on page 62).

https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-23-alma-1-4?lang=eng

Alma 3:14  Thus the word of God is fulfilled, for these are the words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the Lamanites have I cursed, and I will set a mark on them that they and their seed may be ^aseparated from thee and thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except they repent of their wickedness and ^bturn to me that I may have mercy upon them.

What I learn from my own study, the Spirit, and these study helps, helps me see how to teach my children about “skins of blackness.”  In Lamanite times, this curse and marking was important to distinguish the wicked from the righteous.  Over the course of the centuries since then, these people have decided what to do about it.  Today whether we are talking about tan-skinned Lamanites, the dark-skinned Africans, or the olive-skinned Asians, NO ONE is distinguished as being righteous or wicked by virtue of their color.  The Priesthood is now given, and gladly, to every worthy baptized male of age in the Church.  No one is excluded on any other grounds.  Many people of all colors creeds and nationalities choose to carry on the curse of idol and wicked living, but this is the trouble of individuals, not groups.

Importantly, the Lord makes it clear in Alma 3:14 that every person and people who fully repented would have the curse removed from them.  He didn't want the curse to be permanent.

As an unimportant aside, imagine the level of unhappiness that would result of telling all of the righteous people across the world that they had passed the test and now would now have their skin changed miraculously, like they were in 3 Naphi, so they could be white like the rest of the righteous people.  I cannot imagine any way this would go over well!

Years ago, a dear friend, who was white was dating a man seriously, who happened to be black, and she confided in me that she got a lot of resistance from her prejudiced family members, who cited the Book of Mormon example as a reason why she should not marry him.  That attitude seemed inherently wrong to me, so I encouraged her and sad I would keep my eyes out for any doctrine I could find on the subject.  Months later, I was delighted to find this little gem from President Kimball in the materials for a Relief Society lesso0n that was being taught, and was eager to share it with her:

“…it is certain that almost any good man and any good woman can have happiness and a successful marriage if both are willing to pay the price.”

(Full-text here: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/03/oneness-in-marriage?lang=eng, the whole talk of course is excellent.)

President Kimball conspicuously did not use any qualifiers.  I was happy to report this to her at my first opportunity, and was very pleased to learn that she had already married the man :)  They have both been willing to “pay the price,” and just recently welcomed their second child into the world.  The Gospel is truly a living, beautiful thing – and absolutely true!

So, my mind is satisfied, and I hope these sources and thoughts have helped remove some fear about reading 2 Nephi with our children for someone, and maybe even resolve concerns about the LDS Church’s perspective on race for someone too.

Origins of our Holiday Traditions: Christmas as a Winter Solstice Celebration

Every year I take some time around the holidays that apply to my faith tradition to learn something about their origin and the symbolism of their observance, to reflect on how the lessons thus taught should change who I am, and to teach my family about what I have learned.  My thoughts do not amount to scholarship, but rather a yearly dabbling to help keep my heart anchored to my roots.  The present short essay relates specifically to the tradition of celebrating Christmas at the time of the winter solstice.

The season of Christmas and the celebration of New Year is a wonderful and special time of year.  This year, my look at the roots of this holiday season focuses on why we celebrate it when we do, and the symbolism of its timing.

To my knowledge, we have no authoritative contemporary record about the season of Christ’s birth.  Rather, Christmas is essentially a celebration tied to the winter solstice.  It marks (roughly) the moment when the sun reaches the southern extreme of its course for the year, resulting in the longest night (and the shortest day) of the year.  It comes relatively early in winter, so that it precedes the coldest portion of the year. 

It is perhaps difficult for most of us, living in climate-controlled homes, basking in electric light, and selecting our preferred foods from the seemingly inexhaustible bounty of the grocery store shelves, to grasp what winter meant to man even just a century ago.  Without electric light, the cold, dark nights, much longer than the days, severely limited the scope and degree of human activity.  Food was generally limited to storage from the winter harvest or animals that could be caught; in the latter case, the principle of scarcity inevitably pitted man against dangerous predators in direct competition for fresh food.  Fermented beverages, high in calories, were used to supplement food stores, which had to be carefully rationed.  A long winter might spell death by starvation.

Solstice, then, served as a milestone for judging how much longer winter might last; and, symbolically, it became the first harbinger of spring, a promise that the cold, dark season would end, even though the deepest of winter has yet to come. 

It is unsurprising, given its role in making predictions necessary for survival, that the winter solstice has been celebrated throughout the world as an event of deep importance.  What is more profound is the symbolic meaning that many cultures through the ages have given to it.  Some animistic cultures held an annual ritual of ceremonially ‘binding the sun’ on that day in order to prevent the sun from escaping.  Our current traditions, however, find their roots elsewhere, for in many cultures, the solstice came to be symbolically associated with one or both of two concepts that still echo in our daily experience with the spirit of the season: the victory of light over darkness, and death and rebirth or resurrection. 

These traditions descend to us from the celebrations of Rome.  For many years in ancient Rome, the solstice season was noteworthy mainly because it fell outside of the year prescribed by the Roman calendar, composed of 12 30-day months.  The remaining five or six days of the solar year were regarded as being ‘off the books,’ and therefore celebrated with a generally licentious ‘what happens in Vegas’ attitude.  The elements of the spirit of the holiday that we currently associate with Christmas and New Year seem to have been first introduced with the rise in popularity of a Mediterranean variation of the worship of the Persian deity Mithra,[1] known in various regions as the god of covenants, an omniscient protector of truth, a helper of mankind, or as one of the judges men and women must pass at the bridge to the afterlife.  Followers of Mithra observed solstice as the date of the deity’s yearly death and rebirth.  The strong parallels between this observance and Christian message—that through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift of God to man is the provision of a path for man to repent, clear the slate of past mistakes, and overcome human weaknesses, personal shortcomings, and, ultimately, death itself, to be reconciled with the divine—made the transition of the solstice holiday to Christmas a natural one as Christianity rose to its status as the empire’s state religion.[2]

Observing the parallels in the meaning that Jesus Christ and his predecessor in the solstice holiday held for their adherents, one scholar opined that they are, to some extent, “both manifestations of a single deep longing in the human spirit” (Ulansey, 2008).[3]  Certainly this is perennially true of the symbolism of the solstice season, as well.   How many of us would, if we could, go back and do something differently and better than we did do it, recall some hurtful word spoken, or erase past mistakes?  Who of us would not like to rub out some dark spots in our character?  Finally, how many of us would like to be able to face the dawn of a new future without feeling encumbered by the shadow of our past? 

For me, the symbolism of solstice as ensconced in the Christmas spirit and the birth of a new year resonates with the lessons learned by Dickens’ Ebenezer Scrooge.  It bespeaks reformation, redemption, and resolutions to do better; second chances; forgiveness of self and of others for past grievances; and compassion, goodwill, and service to our fellow man.  In the winters of our life, it promises that things will eventually get better.[4]  And, if we truly come to grasp and internalize the symbolism of solstice and the spirit of Christmas, we will resolve, with Scrooge, to “honour [it in our] heart, and try to keep it all the year.”[5]

I hope you all have had a merry Christmas, and wish you the greatest happiness and success in the new year!

Sincerely,

David Blen Nance

---

[1] Apparently beginning in the first century BCE.

[2] This transition, unfortunately, often did not reflect the ‘peace on earth and good will toward men’ advocated by Christian doctrine.

[3] Ulansey, D. "The Cosmic Mysteries of Mithras." http://www.mysterium.com/mithras.html. Accessed 1/1/13.

[4] These same lessons are evidenced in many other Christmas stories, although A Christmas Carol is easily the most famous.  Another favorite is Henry van Dyke’s The Mansion.

[5] From the Fourth Stave of A Christmas Carol.

The Most Beautiful Sound

Last night I called a dear friend and her husband answered the phone.  Not an uncommon occurrence.  But there was something about my brief exchange with him that impressed my mind and heart, though I couldn’t place why until later:

It was how he said her name.

This couple has been married now for at least fifteen years.  Long past the “newlywed stage,” it wasn’t infatuation or even awe that I heard.  It wasn’t something he had rehearsed ahead of time, or a guise he put on for people he wanted to impress.  It flowed from him as naturally as breathing.

How can I describe it?

Imagine the tone of wonder in a child’s voice when he asks his mother about where flowers come from, or why the sky is blue, and the excitement you can hear when he identifies a shape in the clouds on his own for the first time.

Imagine how a teenager handles a precious heirloom as she listens to a grandparent tell her about what it is and what it means to them.  Now imagine the look on her face when she’s told she may keep that precious thing as long as she’s prepared to keep it special and safe.

Remember the way you feel when you return home for a special occasion and are greeted by all the sights, smells, and people you remember, love, and count on.

Remember the way you felt last time a child saw you and immediately smiled and ran to you for a hug.

I felt all of those things when he said her name.  It wasn’t a word, or even a name, to him.  It was the most beautiful sound, and she the most beautiful woman, in the world.

That's how my husband says my name, too.

The Holiday season is upon us, along with all of the mind-bending list-building and tradition-fulfilling that generally follows.  Let’s not let the stress crowd out the effort we put into how we talk to, and about, the people who mean the most to us.

My grown-up Christmas list this year is that everyone who isn't married will search until they find a spouse like my friend's and that all of us, married or single, will work to become more like that ourselves.

The-Kids-Are-Already-Hungry Dinner Surprise

Just when you finally feel like you’ve regained some semblance of control over the zoo that is your house, you look at the clock and it’s already dinner time.  Here’s what I did earlier this week.  Naturally, you’ll want to modify it to meet your family’s taste and appetite.  I don’t tend to make anything that isn’t flexible by nature:

1)      Boil water with salt in a pot big enough to accommodate the amount of pasta your family usually eats in an evening.  I made a pound.

2)      Heat oil, not too much, in a big, tall-rimmed pan.

3)      Chop up a small onion or half of a big one, two carrots (steam for four minutes in the microwave in a bowl with a little water if they need to be really soft), two small cloves of garlic and, yes I’m serious, a can of French-cut green beans, drained. I chopped up left-over beans from a recent meal.  Anything else you need used up will probably work as well.

4)      Add veggies to the pot and stir around in the oil.  Put on low or medium heat based on how long the next step is likely to take you.

5)      Chop up raw or cooked meat or fish into little slices and add to the vegetables, or defrost frozen meat in the microwave and then chop up and add.  Or unwrap some tofu and chop into chunks to add with a splash of soy sauce, or even crack in four to six eggs to scramble up with the rest.  About a pound.  We used leftover turkey.

6)      Add meat. 

7)      Add pasta (I used whole wheat mini shells) to boiling water and time normally.

8)      Season.  I used basil, oregano, 2 tsp (equivalent of 2 cubes) chicken bouillon, chili powder, a little salt, more pepper and, a new one for me, parsley.  When in doubt, smell a spice before deciding whether or not it will compliment your dish.

9)      Mix it around until the meat is done, the veggies are soft, and the spices are well blended.  If necessary, drain excess fat (but not down the sink).

10)  Have someone set the table.

11)  Drain the pasta.

12)  Serve with pasta sauce and shredded cheese, plus anything else your family love on their pasta.  (I thought about combining the pasta and sauce in with the stir-fry, but decided to let everyone combine or not combine for themselves, and they were happy to do that.)

13)  Enjoy!

For an even faster meal, double the stir-fry portion of the recipe and skip the pasta.  Break out the tortillas for burritos with lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. Mmm!  That sounds so good I think I’ll make that tonight!

What I Am Learning about Scripture Study from Reading them in Chinese

I feel like I am a new member again, or that I’m a new member for the first time when it comes to scripture study.  For as long as I can remember, I have understood the scriptures I read to some degree.  And if I stumbled across a passage I couldn’t connect with, I would either ask one of my very available and willing parents to help clarify it for me, or I would skip to a passage I was more familiar with.  Not too shabby.  Now I am learning why some of the people I taught on my mission would tell me the Book of Mormon was difficult to understand while others, with just as little previous experience with it, never seemed to have a problem with it.

As I read the words in my new study-edition of the Book of Mormon in traditional Mandarin Chinese, I enjoy the luxury I have long yearned for to have the characters for each verse in one column, the phonetic spelling of those characters (or “Romanization” or “pin-yin”) in the next column, and the familiar English verse in the last so I can study all three side by side.  This great blessing takes a great deal of work to take advantage of, and after studying this book almost every day for the last two or three months, and occasionally before that for another two, I still haven’t ventured past the Testimony of the Three Witnesses.  I have determined that, this time through, I am not reading for speed (last time through I simply skipped every word I didn’t already know) but for reading fluency, and eventually comprehension.  I am determined to make it through each section just reading the characters and recognizing every one by sight, without checking the pin-yin, before I move past it and call it conquered.

There are several paragraphs between the Title Page and the Introduction that I can now read through without checking, and I am finally enjoying the luxury, which I never fully appreciated before going through this exercise, of reading every word in a sentence without stopping, freeing me to put the ideas together into one coherent thought.  Language truly is a marvelous thing!

The question that has entered my mind several times through the last few months, and been excused largely without an answer about as many times, is “Does it count as scripture study if I can understand so little of what I am reading?”  One paragraph could take me five minutes to muddle through, leaving me too tired to attempt another.  So tired, that I actually fell asleep when I’ve tried it.  Does tripping over one paragraph of words I can hardly string together in a coherent thought count as study of the Book of Mormon?

Today, I learned why the answer is a resounding “Yes.”

As I was reviewing a few verses I still struggled a little with, in preparation for turning the page on them permanently and moving forward in my quest to read every character in the Book of Mormon in Mandarin, I enjoyed the flow of the words together in sentences I could now comprehend and appreciate.  I had worked hard on this, and the progress, while slow, had been exciting because my skills improved each time.  I felt the Spirit whisper to my heart words I had spoken to my son in recent days and I realized that I was keeping Heavenly Father’s commandment to “be obedient.”

“Things always go better when you are obedient,” I tell my son, “even when you don’t know why.  I know it’s hard sometimes, but when you’re obedient, you will always be happier.”

I knew this because my mother had taught me, “I’m not going to tell you why, because you’re just going to argue with me.  You obey first and then if you still want to know why, maybe I’ll tell you.”  It makes me smile to remember myself, short and pompous, trying to process those words as I pouted and humphed out of the room, but it is a true principle.

God tells us what we need to do to be happy, and He rarely tells us why upfront.  But when we obey, we often figure that part out for ourselves.

So the Spirit taught me this morning that we study the scriptures to be obedient.  The other blessings that come through that process are but blessings He already wanted to give to us.  We show we are ready to receive these blessings by keeping His commandments.   So, while I have many great, enduring, and even life-changing lessons during my scripture study, they weren’t taught to me by the words on the page.  Rather, they were taught to me by the Spirit I had put myself in the right place to hear by consistent obedience.